Coated ceramic breeder materials

DOEpatents

Tam, Shiu-Wing; Johnson, Carl E.

1987-04-07

A breeder material for use in a breeder blanket of a nuclear reactor is disclosed. The breeder material comprises a core material of lithium containing ceramic particles which has been coated with a neutron multiplier such as Be or BeO, which coating has a higher thermal conductivity than the core material.

Mechanical design of a light water breeder reactor

DOEpatents

Fauth, Jr., William L.; Jones, Daniel S.; Kolsun, George J.; Erbes, John G.; Brennan, John J.; Weissburg, James A.; Sharbaugh, John E.

1976-01-01

In a light water reactor system using the thorium-232 -- uranium-233 fuel system in a seed-blanket modular core configuration having the modules arranged in a symmetrical array surrounded by a reflector blanket region, the seed regions are disposed for a longitudinal movement between the fixed or stationary blanket region which surrounds each seed region. Control of the reactor is obtained by moving the inner seed region thus changing the geometry of the reactor, and thereby changing the leakage of neutrons from the relatively small seed region into the blanket region. The mechanical design of the Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) core includes means for axially positioning of movable fuel assemblies to achieve the neutron economy required of a breeder reactor, a structure necessary to adequately support the fuel modules without imposing penalties on the breeding capability, a structure necessary to support fuel rods in a closely packed array and a structure necessary to direct and control the flow of coolant to regions in the core in accordance with the heat transfer requirements.

Modeling of tritium transport in a fusion reactor pin-type solid breeder blanket using the diffuse code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Rodger; Ghoniem, Nasr M.

1986-11-01

A pin-type fusion reactor blanket is designed using γ-LiAlO 2 solid tritium breeder. Tritium transport and diffusive inventory are modeled using the DIFFUSE code. Two approaches are used to obtain characteristic LiAlO 2 grain temperatures. DIFFUSE provides intragranular diffusive inventories which scale up to blanket size. These results compare well with a numerical analysis, giving a steady-state blanket tritium inventory of 13 g. Start-up transient inventories are modeled using DIFFUSE for both full and restricted coolant flow. Full flow gives rapid inventory buildup while restricted flow prevents this buildup. Inventories after shutdown are modeled: reduced cooling is found to have little effect on removing tritium, but preheating rapidly purges inventory. DIFFUSE provides parametric modeling of solid breeder density, radiation, and surface effects. 100% dense pins are found to give massive inventory and marginal tritium release. Only large trapping energies and concentrations significantly increase inventory. Diatomic surface recombination is only significant at high temperatures.

Fusion breeder

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moir, R.W.

1982-02-22

The fusion breeder is a fusion reactor designed with special blankets to maximize the transmutation by 14 MeV neutrons of uranium-238 to plutonium or thorium to uranium-233 for use as a fuel for fission reactors. Breeding fissile fuels has not been a goal of the US fusion energy program. This paper suggests it is time for a policy change to make the fusion breeder a goal of the US fusion program and the US nuclear energy program. The purpose of this paper is to suggest this policy change be made and tell why it should be made, and to outlinemore » specific research and development goals so that the fusion breeder will be developed in time to meet fissile fuel needs.« less

Fusion breeder

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moir, R.W.

1982-04-20

The fusion breeder is a fusion reactor designed with special blankets to maximize the transmutation by 14 MeV neutrons of uranium-238 to plutonium or thorium to uranium-233 for use as a fuel for fission reactors. Breeding fissile fuels has not been a goal of the US fusion energy program. This paper suggests it is time for a policy change to make the fusion breeder a goal of the US fusion program and the US nuclear energy program. The purpose of this paper is to suggest this policy change be made and tell why it should be made, and to outlinemore » specific research and development goals so that the fusion breeder will be developed in time to meet fissile fuel needs.« less

Assessment of the importance of neutron multiplication for tritium production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiovaro, P.; Di Maio, P. A.

2017-01-01

One of the major requirements for a fusion power plant in the future is tritium self-sufficiency. For this reason the scientific community has dedicated a lot of effort to research activity on reactor tritium breeding blankets. In the framework of the international project DEMO, many concepts of breeding blanket have been taken into account and some of them will be tested in the experimental reactor ITER by means of appropriate test blanket modules (TBMs). All the breeding blanket concepts rely on the adoption of binary systems composed of a material acting as neutronic multiplier and another as a breeder. This paper addresses a neutronic feature of these kinds of systems. In particular, attention has been focused on the assessment of the importance of neutrons coming from multiplication reactions for the production of tritium. A theoretical framework has been set up and a procedure to evaluate the performance of the multiplier-breeder systems, under the aforementioned point of view, has been developed. Moreover, the model set up has been applied to helium cooled lithium lead and helium cooled pebble bad TBMs under irradiation in ITER and the results have been critically discussed.

Mechanical design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Design concepts for a 1000 mw thermal stationary power plant employing the UF6 fueled gas core breeder reactor are examined. Three design combinations-gaseous UF6 core with a solid matrix blanket, gaseous UF6 core with a liquid blanket, and gaseous UF6 core with a circulating blanket were considered. Results show the gaseous UF6 core with a circulating blanket was best suited to the power plant concept.

Light-Water Breeder Reactor

DOEpatents

Beaudoin, B. R.; Cohen, J. D.; Jones, D. H.; Marier, Jr, L. J.; Raab, H. F.

1972-06-20

Described is a light-water-moderated and -cooled nuclear breeder reactor of the seed-blanket type characterized by core modules comprising loosely packed blanket zones enriched with fissile fuel and axial zoning in the seed and blanket regions within each core module. Reactivity control over lifetime is achieved by axial displacement of movable seed zones without the use of poison rods in the embodiment illustrated. The seed is further characterized by a hydrogen-to-uranium-233 atom ratio in the range 10 to 200 and a uranium-233-to-thorium-232 atom ratio ranging from 0.012 to 0.200. The seed occupies from 10 to 35 percent of the core volume in the form of one or more individual islands or annuli. (NSA 26: 55130)

Experimental Investigation of Ternary Alloys for Fusion Breeding Blankets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choi, B. William; Chiu, Ing L.

Future fusion power plants based on the deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel cycle will be required to breed the T fuel via neutron reactions with lithium, which will be incorporated in a breeding blanket that surrounds the fusion source. Recent work by LLNL proposed the used of liquid Li as the breeder in an inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant. Subsequently, an LDRD was initiated to develop alternatives ternary alloy liquid metal breeders that have reduced chemical reactivity with water and air compared to pure Li. Part of the work plan was to experimentally investigate the phase diagrams of ternary alloys. Ofmore » particular interest was measurement of the melt temperature, which must be low enough to be compatible with the temperature limits of the steel used in the construction of the chamber and heat transfer system.« less

Analysis of Time-Dependent Tritium Breeding Capability of Water Cooled Ceramic Breeder Blanket for CFETR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Fangfang; Zhang, Xiaokang; Pu, Yong; Zhu, Qingjun; Liu, Songlin

2016-08-01

Attaining tritium self-sufficiency is an important mission for the Chinese Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor (CFETR) operating on a Deuterium-Tritium (D-T) fuel cycle. It is necessary to study the tritium breeding ratio (TBR) and breeding tritium inventory variation with operation time so as to provide an accurate data for dynamic modeling and analysis of the tritium fuel cycle. A water cooled ceramic breeder (WCCB) blanket is one candidate of blanket concepts for the CFETR. Based on the detailed 3D neutronics model of CFETR with the WCCB blanket, the time-dependent TBR and tritium surplus were evaluated by a coupling calculation of the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP) and the fusion activation code FISPACT-2007. The results indicated that the TBR and tritium surplus of the WCCB blanket were a function of operation time and fusion power due to the Li consumption in breeder and material activation. In addition, by comparison with the results calculated by using the 3D neutronics model and employing the transfer factor constant from 1D to 3D, it is noted that 1D analysis leads to an over-estimation for the time-dependent tritium breeding capability when fusion power is larger than 1000 MW. supported by the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Science Program of China (Nos. 2013GB108004, 2015GB108002, and 2014GB119000), and by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11175207)

A methodology for accident analysis of fusion breeder blankets and its application to helium-cooled lead–lithium blanket

DOE PAGES

Panayotov, Dobromir; Poitevin, Yves; Grief, Andrew; ...

2016-09-23

'Fusion for Energy' (F4E) is designing, developing, and implementing the European Helium-Cooled Lead-Lithium (HCLL) and Helium-Cooled Pebble-Bed (HCPB) Test Blanket Systems (TBSs) for ITER (Nuclear Facility INB-174). Safety demonstration is an essential element for the integration of these TBSs into ITER and accident analysis is one of its critical components. A systematic approach to accident analysis has been developed under the F4E contract on TBS safety analyses. F4E technical requirements, together with Amec Foster Wheeler and INL efforts, have resulted in a comprehensive methodology for fusion breeding blanket accident analysis that addresses the specificity of the breeding blanket designs, materials,more » and phenomena while remaining consistent with the approach already applied to ITER accident analyses. Furthermore, the methodology phases are illustrated in the paper by its application to the EU HCLL TBS using both MELCOR and RELAP5 codes.« less

Nuclear breeder reactor fuel element with silicon carbide getter

DOEpatents

Christiansen, David W.; Karnesky, Richard A.

1987-01-01

An improved cesium getter 28 is provided in a breeder reactor fuel element or pin in the form of an extended surface area, low density element formed in one embodiment as a helically wound foil 30 located with silicon carbide, and located at the upper end of the fertile material upper blanket 20.

Blanket design and optimization demonstrations of the first wall/blanket/shield design and optimization system (BSDOS).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gohar, Y.; Nuclear Engineering Division

2005-05-01

In fusion reactors, the blanket design and its characteristics have a major impact on the reactor performance, size, and economics. The selection and arrangement of the blanket materials, dimensions of the different blanket zones, and different requirements of the selected materials for a satisfactory performance are the main parameters, which define the blanket performance. These parameters translate to a large number of variables and design constraints, which need to be simultaneously considered in the blanket design process. This represents a major design challenge because of the lack of a comprehensive design tool capable of considering all these variables to definemore » the optimum blanket design and satisfying all the design constraints for the adopted figure of merit and the blanket design criteria. The blanket design capabilities of the First Wall/Blanket/Shield Design and Optimization System (BSDOS) have been developed to overcome this difficulty and to provide the state-of-the-art research and design tool for performing blanket design analyses. This paper describes some of the BSDOS capabilities and demonstrates its use. In addition, the use of the optimization capability of the BSDOS can result in a significant blanket performance enhancement and cost saving for the reactor design under consideration. In this paper, examples are presented, which utilize an earlier version of the ITER solid breeder blanket design and a high power density self-cooled lithium blanket design for demonstrating some of the BSDOS blanket design capabilities.« less

Blanket Design and Optimization Demonstrations of the First Wall/Blanket/Shield Design and Optimization System (BSDOS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gohar, Yousry

2005-05-15

In fusion reactors, the blanket design and its characteristics have a major impact on the reactor performance, size, and economics. The selection and arrangement of the blanket materials, dimensions of the different blanket zones, and different requirements of the selected materials for a satisfactory performance are the main parameters, which define the blanket performance. These parameters translate to a large number of variables and design constraints, which need to be simultaneously considered in the blanket design process. This represents a major design challenge because of the lack of a comprehensive design tool capable of considering all these variables to definemore » the optimum blanket design and satisfying all the design constraints for the adopted figure of merit and the blanket design criteria. The blanket design capabilities of the First Wall/Blanket/Shield Design and Optimization System (BSDOS) have been developed to overcome this difficulty and to provide the state-of-the-art research and design tool for performing blanket design analyses. This paper describes some of the BSDOS capabilities and demonstrates its use. In addition, the use of the optimization capability of the BSDOS can result in a significant blanket performance enhancement and cost saving for the reactor design under consideration. In this paper, examples are presented, which utilize an earlier version of the ITER solid breeder blanket design and a high power density self-cooled lithium blanket design for demonstrating some of the BSDOS blanket design capabilities.« less

Progress on DCLL Blanket Concept

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wong, Clement; Abdou, M.; Katoh, Yutai

2013-09-01

Under the US Fusion Nuclear Science and Technology Development program, we have selected the Dual Coolant Lead Lithium concept (DCLL) as a reference blanket, which has the potential to be a high performance DEMO blanket design with a projected thermal efficiency of >40%. Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAF/M) steel is used as the structural material. The self-cooled breeder PbLi is circulated for power conversion and for tritium breeding. A SiC-based flow channel insert (FCI) is used as a means for magnetohydrodynamic pressure drop reduction from the circulating liquid PbLi and as a thermal insulator to separate the high-temperature PbLi (~700°C) frommore » the helium-cooled RAF/M steel structure. We are making progress on related R&D needs to address critical Fusion Nuclear Science and Facility (FNSF) and DEMO blanket development issues. When performing the function as the Interface Coordinator for the DCLL blanket concept, we had been developing the mechanical design and performing neutronics, structural and thermal hydraulics analyses of the DCLL TBM module. We had estimated the necessary ancillary equipment that will be needed at the ITER site and a detailed safety impact report has been prepared. This provided additional understanding of the DCLL blanket concept in preparation for the FNSF and DEMO. This paper will be a summary report on the progress of the DCLL TBM design and R&Ds for the DCLL blanket concept.« less

COUPLED FAST-THERMAL POWER BREEDER REACTOR

DOEpatents

Avery, R.

1961-07-18

A nuclear reactor having a region operating predominantly on fast neutrons and another region operating predominantly on slow neutrons is described. The fast region is a plutonium core and the slow region is a natural uranium blanket around the core. Both of these regions are free of moderator. A moderating reflector surrounds the uranium blanket. The moderating material and thickness of the reflector are selected so that fissions in the uranium blanket make a substantial contribution to the reactivity of the reactor.

Self-cooled liquid-metal blanket concept

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malang, S.; Arheidt, K.; Barleon, L.

1988-11-01

A blanket concept for the Next European Torus (NET) where 83Pb-17Li serves both as breeder material and as coolant is described. The concept is based on the use of novel flow channel inserts for a decisive reduction of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pressure drop and employs beryllium as neutron multiplier in order to avoid the need for breeding blankets at the inboard side of the torus. This study includes the design, neutronics, thermal hydraulics, stresses, MHDs, corrosion, tritium recovery, and safety of a self-cooled liquid-metal blanket. The results of the investigations indicate that the self-cooled blanket is an attractive alternative tomore » other driver blanket concepts for NET and that it can be extrapolated to the conditions of a DEMO reactor.« less

Achievements in the development of the Water Cooled Solid Breeder Test Blanket Module of Japan to the milestones for installation in ITER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuru, Daigo; Tanigawa, Hisashi; Hirose, Takanori; Mohri, Kensuke; Seki, Yohji; Enoeda, Mikio; Ezato, Koichiro; Suzuki, Satoshi; Nishi, Hiroshi; Akiba, Masato

2009-06-01

As the primary candidate of ITER Test Blanket Module (TBM) to be tested under the leadership of Japan, a water cooled solid breeder (WCSB) TBM is being developed. This paper shows the recent achievements towards the milestones of ITER TBMs prior to the installation, which consist of design integration in ITER, module qualification and safety assessment. With respect to the design integration, targeting the detailed design final report in 2012, structure designs of the WCSB TBM and the interfacing components (common frame and backside shielding) that are placed in a test port of ITER and the layout of the cooling system are presented. As for the module qualification, a real-scale first wall mock-up fabricated by using the hot isostatic pressing method by structural material of reduced activation martensitic ferritic steel, F82H, and flow and irradiation test of the mock-up are presented. As for safety milestones, the contents of the preliminary safety report in 2008 consisting of source term identification, failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) and identification of postulated initiating events (PIEs) and safety analyses are presented.

Nuclear-radiation-actuated valve. [Patent application; for increasing coolant flow to blanket

DOEpatents

Christiansen, D.W.; Schively, D.P.

1982-01-19

The present invention relates to a breeder reactor blanket fuel assembly coolant system valve which increases coolant flow to the blanket fuel assembly to minimize long-term temperature increases caused by fission of fissile fuel created from fertile fuel through operation of the breeder reactor. The valve has a valve first part (such as a valve rod with piston) and a valve second part (such as a valve tube surrounding the valve rod, with the valve tube having side slots surrounding the piston). Both valve parts have known nuclear radiation swelling characteristics. The valve's first part is positioned to receive nuclear radiation from the nuclear reactor's fuel region. The valve's second part is positioned so that its nuclear radiation induced swelling is different from that of the valve's first part. The valve's second part also is positioned so that the valve's first and second parts create a valve orifice which changes in size due to the different nuclear radiation caused swelling of the valve's first part compared to the valve's second part. The valve may be used in a nuclear reactor's core coolant system.

Manufacturing Technology of Ceramic Pebbles for Breeding Blanket.

PubMed

Lo Frano, Rosa; Puccini, Monica; Stefanelli, Eleonora; Del Serra, Daniele; Malquori, Stefano

2018-05-02

An open issue for the fusion power reactor is the choice of breeding blanket material. The possible use of Helium-Cooled Pebble Breeder ceramic material in the form of pebble beds is of great interest worldwide as demonstrated by the numerous studies and research on this subject. Lithium orthosilicate (Li₄SiO₄) is a promising breeding material investigated in this present study because the neutron capture of Li-6 allows the production of tritium, 6Li (n, t) 4He. Furthermore, lithium orthosilicate has the advantages of low activation characteristics, low thermal expansion coefficient, high thermal conductivity, high density and stability. Even if they are far from the industrial standard, a variety of industrial processes have been proposed for making orthosilicate pebbles with diameters of 0.1⁻1 mm. However, some manufacturing problems have been observed, such as in the chemical stability (agglomeration phenomena). The aim of this study is to provide a new methodology for the production of pebbles based on the drip casting method, which was jointly developed by the DICI-University of Pisa and Industrie Bitossi. Using this new (and alternative) manufacturing technology, in the field of fusion reactors, appropriately sized ceramic pebbles could be produced for use as tritium breeders.

LMFBR fuel assembly design for HCDA fuel dispersal

DOEpatents

Lacko, Robert E.; Tilbrook, Roger W.

1984-01-01

A fuel assembly for a liquid metal fast breeder reactor having an upper axial blanket region disposed in a plurality of zones within the fuel assembly. The characterization of a zone is dependent on the height of the axial blanket region with respect to the active fuel region. The net effect of having a plurality of zones is to establish a dispersal flow path for the molten materials resulting during a core meltdown accident. Upward flowing molten material can escape from the core region and/or fuel assembly without solidifying on the surface of fuel rods due to the heat sink represented by blanket region pellets.

An Analysis of Ripple and Error Fields Induced by a Blanket in the CFETR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Guanying; Liu, Xufeng; Liu, Songlin

2016-10-01

The Chinese Fusion Engineering Tokamak Reactor (CFETR) is an important intermediate device between ITER and DEMO. The Water Cooled Ceramic Breeder (WCCB) blanket whose structural material is mainly made of Reduced Activation Ferritic/Martensitic (RAFM) steel, is one of the candidate conceptual blanket design. An analysis of ripple and error field induced by RAFM steel in WCCB is evaluated with the method of static magnetic analysis in the ANSYS code. Significant additional magnetic field is produced by blanket and it leads to an increased ripple field. Maximum ripple along the separatrix line reaches 0.53% which is higher than 0.5% of the acceptable design value. Simultaneously, one blanket module is taken out for heating purpose and the resulting error field is calculated to be seriously against the requirement. supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11175207) and the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Program of China (No. 2013GB108004)

Behaviour of Li 2ZrO 3 and Li 2TiO 3 pebbles relevant to their utilization as ceramic breeder for the HCPB blanket

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lulewicz, J. D.; Roux, N.; Piazza, G.; Reimann, J.; van der Laan, J.

2000-12-01

Li 2ZrO 3 and Li 2TiO 3 pebbles are being investigated at Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique as candidate alternative ceramics for the European helium-cooled pebble bed (HCPB) blanket. The pebbles are fabricated using the extrusion-spheronization-sintering process and are optimized regarding composition, geometrical characteristics, microstructural characteristics, and material purity. Tests were designed and are being performed with other organizations so as to check the functional performance of the pebbles and pebble beds with respect to the HCPB blanket requirements, and, finally, to make the selection of the most appropriate ceramic for the HCPB blanket. Tests include high temperature long-term annealing, thermal shock, thermal cycling, thermal mechanical behaviour of pebble beds, thermal conductivity of pebble beds, and tritium extraction. Current results indicate the attractiveness of these ceramics pebbles for the HCPB blanket.

Phase 3 experiments of the JAERI/USDOE collaborative program on fusion blanket neutronics. Volume 1: Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oyama, Yukio; Konno, Chikara; Ikeda, Yujiro; Maekawa, Fujio; Kosako, Kazuaki; Nakamura, Tomoo; Maekawa, Hiroshi; Youssef, Mahmoud Z.; Kumar, Anil; Abdou, Mohamed A.

1994-02-01

A pseudo-line source has been realized by using an accelerator based D-T point neutron source. The pseudo-line source is obtained by time averaging of continuously moving point source or by superposition of finely distributed point sources. The line source is utilized for fusion blanket neutronics experiments with an annular geometry so as to simulate a part of a tokamak reactor. The source neutron characteristics were measured for two operational modes for the line source, continuous and step-wide modes, with the activation foil and the NE213 detectors, respectively. In order to give a source condition for a successive calculational analysis on the annular blanket experiment, the neutron source characteristics was calculated by a Monte Carlo code. The reliability of the Monte Carlo calculation was confirmed by comparison with the measured source characteristics. The shape of the annular blanket system was a rectangular with an inner cavity. The annular blanket was consist of 15 mm-thick first wall (SS304) and 406 mm-thick breeder zone with Li2O at inside and Li2CO3 at outside. The line source was produced at the center of the inner cavity by moving the annular blanket system in the span of 2 m. Three annular blanket configurations were examined; the reference blanket, the blanket covered with 25 mm thick graphite armor and the armor-blanket with a large opening. The neutronics parameters of tritium production rate, neutron spectrum and activation reaction rate were measured with specially developed techniques such as multi-detector data acquisition system, spectrum weighting function method and ramp controlled high voltage system. The present experiment provides unique data for a higher step of benchmark to test a reliability of neutronics design calculation for a realistic tokamak reactor.

First wall structural analysis of the aqueous self-cooled blanket concept

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O'Brien, D.A.; Steiner, D.; Embrechts, M.J.

1986-11-01

A recently proposed blanket concept using water coolant with dissolved lithium compounds for breeding employs water cooled first walls. Water cooled first walls for blankets have also been proposed for some solid breeder blankets. Design options for water cooled first walls are examined in this paper. Four geometries and three materials are analyzed for water coolant at 300/sup 0/C and 13.8 MPa (2000 psi). Maximum neutron wall loads (with surface heat loads being 25% of neutron wall load) are determined for each geometry and material combination. Of the materials studied, only vanadium alloy is found to be capable of withstandingmore » high wall loads (>10MW/m/sup 2/ neutron and >2.5 MW/m/sup 2/ heat).« less

Improved structure and long-life blanket concepts for heliotron reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagara, A.; Imagawa, S.; Mitarai, O.; Dolan, T.; Tanaka, T.; Kubota, Y.; Yamazaki, K.; Watanabe, K. Y.; Mizuguchi, N.; Muroga, T.; Noda, N.; Kaneko, O.; Yamada, H.; Ohyabu, N.; Uda, T.; Komori, A.; Sudo, S.; Motojima, O.

2005-04-01

New design approaches are proposed for the LHD-type heliotron D-T demo-reactor FFHR2 to solve the key engineering issues of blanket space limitation and replacement difficulty. A major radius of over 14 m is selected to permit a blanket-shield thickness of about 1 m and to reduce the neutron wall loading and toroidal field, while achieving an acceptable cost of electricity. Two sets of optimization are successfully carried out. One is to reduce the magnetic hoop force on the helical coil support structures by adjustment of the helical winding coil pitch parameter and the poloidal coils design, which facilitates expansion of the maintenance ports. The other is a long-life blanket concept using carbon armour tiles that soften the neutron energy spectrum incident on the self-cooled flibe-reduced activation ferritic steel blanket. In this adaptation of the spectral-shifter and tritium breeder blanket (STB) concept a local tritium breeding ratio over 1.2 is feasible by optimized arrangement of the neutron multiplier Be in the carbon tiles, and the radiation shielding of the superconducting magnet coils is also significantly improved. Using constant cross sections of a helically winding shape, the 'screw coaster' concept is proposed to replace in-vessel components such as the STB armour tiles. The key R&D issues for developing the STB concept, such as radiation effects on carbon and enhanced heat transfer of Flibe, are elucidated.

Design and tritium permeation analysis of China HCCB TBM port cell

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jiangfeng, S.; Guoqiang, H.; Zhiyong, H.

2015-03-15

China is planning to develop a helium-cooled ceramic breeder (HCCB) test blanket module (TBM) on ITER to test key blanket technologies. In this paper, the design and tritium permeation analysis of China HCCB TBM port cell are introduced. A theoretical model has been developed to estimate tritium permeation rates and leak rates from the components and pipes which China has scheduled to house in the port cell. It is shown that on normal working conditions, the permeation and leak rate of the systems in the port cell will be no higher than 1.58 Ci/d without the use of tritium permeationmore » barriers, and 0.10 Ci/d with the use of tritium permeation barriers. It also appears that tritium permeation barriers are necessary for high temperature components such as the reduction bed and the heater.« less

Manufacturing Technology of Ceramic Pebbles for Breeding Blanket

PubMed Central

Stefanelli, Eleonora; Del Serra, Daniele; Malquori, Stefano

2018-01-01

An open issue for the fusion power reactor is the choice of breeding blanket material. The possible use of Helium-Cooled Pebble Breeder ceramic material in the form of pebble beds is of great interest worldwide as demonstrated by the numerous studies and research on this subject. Lithium orthosilicate (Li4SiO4) is a promising breeding material investigated in this present study because the neutron capture of Li-6 allows the production of tritium, 6Li (n, t) 4He. Furthermore, lithium orthosilicate has the advantages of low activation characteristics, low thermal expansion coefficient, high thermal conductivity, high density and stability. Even if they are far from the industrial standard, a variety of industrial processes have been proposed for making orthosilicate pebbles with diameters of 0.1–1 mm. However, some manufacturing problems have been observed, such as in the chemical stability (agglomeration phenomena). The aim of this study is to provide a new methodology for the production of pebbles based on the drip casting method, which was jointly developed by the DICI-University of Pisa and Industrie Bitossi. Using this new (and alternative) manufacturing technology, in the field of fusion reactors, appropriately sized ceramic pebbles could be produced for use as tritium breeders. PMID:29724071

Normal operation and maintenance safety lessons from the ITER US PbLi test blanket module program for a US FNSF and DEMO

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

L. C. Cadwallader; C. P. C. Wong; M. Abdou

2014-10-01

A leading power reactor breeding blanket candidate for a fusion demonstration power plant (DEMO) being pursued by the US Fusion Community is the Dual Coolant Lead Lithium (DCLL) concept. The safety hazards associated with the DCLL concept as a reactor blanket have been examined in several US design studies. These studies identify the largest radiological hazards as those associated with the dust generation by plasma erosion of plasma blanket module first walls, oxidation of blanket structures at high temperature in air or steam, inventories of tritium bred in or permeating through the ferritic steel structures of the blanket module andmore » blanket support systems, and the 210Po and 203Hg produced in the PbLi breeder/coolant. What these studies lack is the scrutiny associated with a licensing review of the DCLL concept. An insight into this process was gained during the US participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Test Blanket Module (TBM) Program. In this paper we discuss the lessons learned during this activity and make safety proposals for the design of a Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) or a DEMO that employs a lead lithium breeding blanket.« less

Radial blanket assembly orificing arrangement

DOEpatents

Patterson, J.F.

1975-07-01

A nuclear reactor core for a liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactor is described in which means are provided for increasing the coolant flow through the reactor fuel assemblies as the reactor ages by varying the coolant flow rate with the changing coolant requirements during the core operating lifetime. (auth)

Al-based anti-corrosion and T-permeation barrier development for future DEMO blankets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krauss, W.; Konys, J.; Holstein, N.; Zimmermann, H.

2011-10-01

In the Helium-Cooled-Liquid-Lead (HCLL) design of Test-Blanket-Modules (TBM's) for a future fusion power plant Pb-15.7Li is used as liquid breeder which is in direct contact with the structure material, e.g. EUROFER steel. Compatibility testing showed that high corrosion attack appears and that the dissolved steel components form precipitates with a high risk of system blockages. A reliable operation needs coatings as corrosion barriers. The earlier developed Hot-Dip Aluminisation (HDA) process has shown that Al-based scales can act as anti-corrosion as well as T-permeation barriers. Meanwhile two advanced electro-chemically based processes for deposition of Al-scales were successfully developed. The first (ECA = Electro-Chemical Al-deposition) is working with an organic electrolyte and the second one (ECX = Electro-Chemical-X-metal-deposition) is based on ionic liquids. Coatings in the μm-range were deposited homogeneously with exact controllable thicknesses. Metallurgical investigations showed the successful generation of protective scales and compatibility testing demonstrated the barrier function.

Task toward a Realization of Commercial Tokamak Fusion Plants in 2050 -The Role of ITER and the Succeeding Developments- 4.Technology and Material Research in Fusion Power Plant Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akiba, Masato; Matsui, Hideki; Takatsu, Hideyuki; Konishi, Satoshi

Technical issues regarding the fusion power plant that are required to be developed in the period of ITER construction and operation, both with ITER and with other facilities that complement ITER are described in this section. Three major fields are considered to be important in fusion technology. Section 4.1 summarizes blanket study, and ITER Test Blanket Module (TBM) development that focuses its effort on the first generation power blanket to be installed in DEMO. ITER will be equipped with 6 TBMs which are developed under each party's fusion program. In Japan, the solid breeder using water as a coolant is the primary candidate, and He-cooled pebble bed is the alternative. Other liquid options such as LiPb, Li or molten salt are developed by other parties' initiatives. The Test Blanket Working Group (TBWG) is coordinating these efforts. Japanese universities are investigating advanced concepts and fundamental crosscutting technologies. Section 4.2 introduces material development and particularly, the international irradiation facility, IFMIF. Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels are identified as promising candidates for the structural material of the first generation fusion blanket, while and vanadium alloy and SiC/SiC composite are pursued as advanced options. The IFMIF is currently planning the next phase of joint activity, EVEDA (Engineering Validation and Engineering Design Activity) that encompasses construction. Material studies together with the ITER TBM will provide essential technical information for development of the fusion power plant. Other technical issues to be addressed regarding the first generation fusion power plant are summarized in section 4.3. Development of components for ITER made remarkable progress for the major essential technology also necessary for future fusion plants, however many still need further improvements toward power plant. Such areas includes; the divertor, plasma heating/current drive, magnets, tritium, and remote handling. There remain many other technical issues for power plant which require integrated efforts.

Neutronics Evaluation of Lithium-Based Ternary Alloys in IFE Blankets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jolodosky, A.; Fratoni, M.

2014-11-20

Pre-conceptual fusion blanket designs require research and development to reflect important proposed changes in the design of essential systems, and the new challenges they impose on related fuel cycle systems. One attractive feature of using liquid lithium as the breeder and coolant is that it has very high tritium solubility and results in very low levels of tritium permeation throughout the facility infrastructure. However, lithium metal vigorously reacts with air and water and presents plant safety concerns. If the chemical reactivity of lithium could be overcome, the result would have a profound impact on fusion energy and associated safety basis.more » The overriding goal of this project is to develop a lithium-based alloy that maintains beneficial properties of lithium (e.g. high tritium breeding and solubility) while reducing overall flammability concerns. To minimize the number of alloy combinations that must be explored, only those alloys that meet certain nuclear performance metrics will be considered for subsequent thermodynamic study. The specific scope of this study is to evaluate the neutronics performance of lithium-based alloys in the blanket of an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) engine. The results of this study will inform the development of lithium alloys that would guarantee acceptable neutronics performance while mitigating the chemical reactivity issues of pure lithium.« less

On the use of tin?lithium alloys as breeder material for blankets of fusion power plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fütterer, M. A.; Aiello, G.; Barbier, F.; Giancarli, L.; Poitevin, Y.; Sardain, P.; Szczepanski, J.; Li Puma, A.; Ruvutuso, G.; Vella, G.

2000-12-01

Tin-lithium alloys have several attractive thermo-physical properties, in particular high thermal conductivity and heat capacity, that make them potentially interesting candidates for use in liquid metal blankets. This paper presents an evaluation of the advantages and drawbacks caused by the substitution of the currently employed alloy lead-lithium (Pb-17Li) by a suitable tin-lithium alloy: (i) for the European water-cooled Pb-17Li (WCLL) blanket concept with reduced activation ferritic-martensitic steel as the structural material; (ii) for the European self-cooled TAURO blanket with SiC f/SiC as the structural material. It was found that in none of these blankets Sn-Li alloys would lead to significant advantages, in particular due to the low tritium breeding capability. Only in forced convection cooled divertors with W-alloy structure, Sn-Li alloys would be slightly more favorable. It is concluded that Sn-Li alloys are only advantageous in free surface cooled reactor internals, as this would make maximum use of the principal advantage of Sn-Li, i.e., the low vapor pressure.

Chemical compatibility study between ceramic breeder and EUROFER97 steel for HCPB-DEMO blanket

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukai, Keisuke; Sanchez, Fernando; Knitter, Regina

2017-05-01

Chemical compatibility between ceramic breeder (Li4SiO4 + 20 mol% addition of Li2TiO3) and EUROFER97 steel was examined in this study. These materials were contacted and heated at 623, 823 and 1073 K under He + 0.1 vol.% H2 atmosphere for up to 12 weeks. Limited influence was found in the breeder specimens, although losses of the constituent elements appeared near the surface of the breeder pellets heated at 1073 K. For the EUROFER specimens with formation of a corrosion layer, element diffusivity was estimated based on diffusion kinetics. In the temperature range, effective diffusion coefficients of oxygen into EUROFER steel were in the range from 3.5 × 10-14 to 2.5 × 10-12 cm2/s and found to be faster than that of Li. The coefficients yielded an activation energy of 0.93 eV for oxygen diffusion into EUROFER steel and predicted the possible thickness of the corrosion layer after operational periods.

In-pile test of Li 2TiO 3 pebble bed with neutron pulse operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuchiya, K.; Nakamichi, M.; Kikukawa, A.; Nagao, Y.; Enoeda, M.; Osaki, T.; Ioki, K.; Kawamura, H.

2002-12-01

Lithium titanate (Li 2TiO 3) is one of the candidate materials as tritium breeder in the breeding blanket of fusion reactors, and it is necessary to show the tritium release behavior of Li 2TiO 3 pebble beds. Therefore, a blanket in-pile mockup was developed and in situ tritium release experiments with the Li 2TiO 3 pebble bed were carried out in the Japan Materials Testing Reactor. In this study, the relationship between tritium release behavior from Li 2TiO 3 pebble beds and effects of various parameters were evaluated. The ( R/ G) ratio of tritium release ( R) and tritium generation ( G) was saturated when the temperature at the outside edge of the Li 2TiO 3 pebble bed became 300 °C. The tritium release amount increased cycle by cycle and saturated after about 20 pulse operations.

Evaluation of tritium release properties of advanced tritium breeders

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoshino, T.; Ochiai, K.; Edao, Y.

2015-03-15

Demonstration power plant (DEMO) fusion reactors require advanced tritium breeders with high thermal stability. Lithium titanate (Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3}) advanced tritium breeders with excess Li (Li{sub 2+x}TiO{sub 3+y}) are stable in a reducing atmosphere at high temperatures. Although the tritium release properties of tritium breeders are documented in databases for DEMO blanket design, no in situ examination under fusion neutron (DT neutron) irradiation has been performed. In this study, a preliminary examination of the tritium release properties of advanced tritium breeders was performed, and DT neutron irradiation experiments were performed at the fusion neutronics source (FNS) facility in JAEA. Consideringmore » the tritium release characteristics, the optimum grain size after sintering is <5 μm. From the results of the optimization of granulation conditions, prototype Li{sub 2+x}TiO{sub 3+y} pebbles with optimum grain size (<5 μm) were successfully fabricated. The Li{sub 2+x}TiO{sub 3+y} pebbles exhibited good tritium release properties similar to the Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3} pebbles. In particular, the released amount of HT gas for easier tritium handling was higher than that of HTO water. (authors)« less

Neutronics Comparison Analysis of the Water Cooled Ceramics Breeding Blanket for CFETR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jia; Zhang, Xiaokang; Gao, Fangfang; Pu, Yong

2016-02-01

China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is an ITER-like fusion engineering test reactor that is intended to fill the scientific and technical gaps between ITER and DEMO. One of the main missions of CFETR is to achieve a tritium breeding ratio that is no less than 1.2 to ensure tritium self-sufficiency. A concept design for a water cooled ceramics breeding blanket (WCCB) is presented based on a scheme with the breeder and the multiplier located in separate panels for CFETR. Based on this concept, a one-dimensional (1D) radial built breeding blanket was first designed, and then several three-dimensional models were developed with various neutron source definitions and breeding blanket module arrangements based on the 1D radial build. A set of nuclear analyses have been carried out to compare the differences in neutronics characteristics given by different calculation models, addressing neutron wall loading (NWL), tritium breeding ratio (TBR), fast neutron flux on inboard side and nuclear heating deposition on main in-vessel components. The impact of differences in modeling on the nuclear performance has been analyzed and summarized regarding the WCCB concept design. supported by the National Special Project for Magnetic Confined Nuclear Fusion Energy (Nos. 2013GB108004, 2014GB122000, and 2014GB119000), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11175207)

Preliminary Evaluation of the Adequacy of Lithium Resources of the World and China for D-T Fusion Reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yongliang; Ni, Muyi; Jiang, Jieqiong; Wu, Yican; FDS-Team

2012-07-01

This paper studied the adequacy of the World and China lithium resources, considering the most promising uses in the future, involving nuclear fusion and electric-vehicles. The lithium recycle model for D-T fusion power plant and electric-vehicles, and the logistic growth prediction model of the primary energy for the World and China were constructed. Based on these models, preliminary evaluation of lithium resources adequacy of the World and China for D-T fusion reactors was presented under certain assumptions. Results show that: a. The world terrestrial reserves of lithium seems too limited to support a significant D-T power program, but the lithium reserves of China are relatively abundant, compared with the world case. b. The lithium resources contained in the oceans can be called the “permanent" energy. c. The change in 6Li enrichment has no obvious effect on the availability period of the lithium resources using FDS-II (Liquid Pb-17Li breeder blanket) type of reactors, but it has a stronger effect when PPCS-B (Solid Li4 SiO4 ceramics breeder blanket) is used.

CAD-centric Computation Management System for a Virtual TBM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramakanth Munipalli; K.Y. Szema; P.Y. Huang

HyPerComp Inc. in research collaboration with TEXCEL has set out to build a Virtual Test Blanket Module (VTBM) computational system to address the need in contemporary fusion research for simulating the integrated behavior of the blanket, divertor and plasma facing components in a fusion environment. Physical phenomena to be considered in a VTBM will include fluid flow, heat transfer, mass transfer, neutronics, structural mechanics and electromagnetics. We seek to integrate well established (third-party) simulation software in various disciplines mentioned above. The integrated modeling process will enable user groups to interoperate using a common modeling platform at various stages of themore » analysis. Since CAD is at the core of the simulation (as opposed to computational meshes which are different for each problem,) VTBM will have a well developed CAD interface, governing CAD model editing, cleanup, parameter extraction, model deformation (based on simulation,) CAD-based data interpolation. In Phase-I, we built the CAD-hub of the proposed VTBM and demonstrated its use in modeling a liquid breeder blanket module with coupled MHD and structural mechanics using HIMAG and ANSYS. A complete graphical user interface of the VTBM was created, which will form the foundation of any future development. Conservative data interpolation via CAD (as opposed to mesh-based transfer), the regeneration of CAD models based upon computed deflections, are among the other highlights of phase-I activity.« less

Experimental investigation of MHD pressure losses in a mock-up of a liquid metal blanket

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mistrangelo, C.; Bühler, L.; Brinkmann, H.-J.

2018-03-01

Experiments have been performed to investigate the influence of a magnetic field on liquid metal flows in a scaled mock-up of a helium cooled lead lithium (HCLL) blanket. During the experiments pressure differences between points on the mock-up have been recorded for various values of flow rate and magnitude of the imposed magnetic field. The main contributions to the total pressure drop in the test-section have been identified as a function of characteristic flow parameters. For sufficiently strong magnetic fields the non-dimensional pressure losses are practically independent on the flow rate, namely inertia forces become negligible. Previous experiments on MHD flows in a simplified test-section for a HCLL blanket showed that the main contributions to the total pressure drop in a blanket module originate from the flow in the distributing and collecting manifolds. The new experiments confirm that the largest pressure drops occur along manifolds and near the first wall of the blanket module, where the liquid metal passes through small openings in the stiffening plates separating two breeder units. Moreover, the experimental data shows that with the present manifold design the flow does not distribute homogeneously among the 8 stacked boxes that form the breeding zone.

Neutron transport-burnup code MCORGS and its application in fusion fission hybrid blanket conceptual research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Xue-Ming; Peng, Xian-Jue

2016-09-01

Fusion science and technology has made progress in the last decades. However, commercialization of fusion reactors still faces challenges relating to higher fusion energy gain, irradiation-resistant material, and tritium self-sufficiency. Fusion Fission Hybrid Reactors (FFHR) can be introduced to accelerate the early application of fusion energy. Traditionally, FFHRs have been classified as either breeders or transmuters. Both need partition of plutonium from spent fuel, which will pose nuclear proliferation risks. A conceptual design of a Fusion Fission Hybrid Reactor for Energy (FFHR-E), which can make full use of natural uranium with lower nuclear proliferation risk, is presented. The fusion core parameters are similar to those of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. An alloy of natural uranium and zirconium is adopted in the fission blanket, which is cooled by light water. In order to model blanket burnup problems, a linkage code MCORGS, which couples MCNP4B and ORIGEN-S, is developed and validated through several typical benchmarks. The average blanket energy Multiplication and Tritium Breeding Ratio can be maintained at 10 and 1.15 respectively over tens of years of continuous irradiation. If simple reprocessing without separation of plutonium from uranium is adopted every few years, FFHR-E can achieve better neutronic performance. MCORGS has also been used to analyze the ultra-deep burnup model of Laser Inertial Confinement Fusion Fission Energy (LIFE) from LLNL, and a new blanket design that uses Pb instead of Be as the neutron multiplier is proposed. In addition, MCORGS has been used to simulate the fluid transmuter model of the In-Zinerater from Sandia. A brief comparison of LIFE, In-Zinerater, and FFHR-E will be given.

UF6 breeder reactor power plants for electric power generation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rust, J. H.; Clement, J. D.; Hohl, F.

1976-01-01

The reactor concept analyzed is a U-233F6 core surrounded by a molten salt (Li(7)F, BeF2, ThF4) blanket. Nuclear survey calculations were carried out for both spherical and cylindrical geometries. Thermodynamic cycle calculations were performed for a variety of Rankine cycles. A conceptual design is presented along with a system layout for a 1000 MW stationary power plant. Advantages of the gas core breeder reactor (GCBR) are as follows: (1) high efficiency; (2) simplified on-line reprocessing; (3) inherent safety considerations; (4) high breeding ratio; (5) possibility of burning all or most of the long-lived nuclear waste actinides; and (6) possibility of extrapolating the technology to higher temperatures and MHD direct conversion.

DEMO port plug design and integration studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grossetti, G.; Boccaccini, L. V.; Cismondi, F.; Del Nevo, A.; Fischer, U.; Franke, T.; Granucci, G.; Hernández, F.; Mozzillo, R.; Strauß, D.; Tran, M. Q.; Vaccaro, A.; Villari, R.

2017-11-01

The EUROfusion Consortium established in 2014 and composed by European Fusion Laboratories, and in particular the Power Plant Physics and Technology department aims to develop a conceptual design for the Fusion DEMOnstration Power Plant, DEMO. With respect to present experimental machines and ITER, the main goals of DEMO are to produce electricity continuously for a period of about 2 h, with a net electrical power output of a few hundreds of MW, and to allow tritium self-sufficient breeding with an adequately high margin in order to guarantee its planned operational schedule, including all planned maintenance intervals. This will eliminate the need to import tritium fuel from external sources during operations. In order to achieve these goals, extensive engineering efforts as well as physics studies are required to develop a design that can ensure a high level of plant reliability and availability. In particular, interfaces between systems must be addressed at a very early phase of the project, in order to proceed consistently. In this paper we present a preliminary design and integration study, based on physics assessments for the EU DEMO1 Baseline 2015 with an aspect ratio of 3.1 and 18 toroidal field coils, for the DEMO port plugs. These aim to host systems like electron cyclotron heating launchers currently developed within the Work Package Heating and Current Drive that need an external radial access to the plasma and through in-vessel systems like the breeder blanket. A similar approach shown here could be in principle followed by other systems, e.g. other heating and current drive systems or diagnostics. The work addresses the interfaces between the port plug and the blanket considering the helium-cooled pebble bed and the water cooled lithium lead which are two of four breeding blanket concepts under investigation in Europe within the Power Plant Physics and Technology Programme: the required openings will be evaluated in terms of their impact onto the blanket segments thermo-mechanical and nuclear design considering mechanical integration aspects but also their impact on tritium breeding ratio. Since DEMO is still in a pre-conceptual phase, the same methodology is applicable to the other two blanket concepts, as well.

Fusion Blanket Coolant Section Criteria, Methodology, and Results

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DeMuth, J. A.; Meier, W. R.; Jolodosky, A.

2015-10-02

The focus of this LDRD was to explore potential Li alloys that would meet the tritium breeding and blanket cooling requirements but with reduced chemical reactivity, while maintaining the other attractive features of pure Li breeder/coolant. In other fusion approaches (magnetic fusion energy or MFE), 17Li- 83Pb alloy is used leveraging Pb’s ability to maintain high TBR while lowering the levels of lithium in the system. Unfortunately this alloy has a number of potential draw-backs. Due to the high Pb content, this alloy suffers from very high average density, low tritium solubility, low system energy, and produces undesirable activation productsmore » in particular polonium. The criteria considered in the selection of a tritium breeding alloy are described in the following section.« less

Neutronic Calculation Analysis for CN HCCB TBM-Set

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Qixiang; Zhao, Fengchao; Zhao, Zhou; Wu, Xinghua; Li, Zaixin; Wang, Xiaoyu; Feng, Kaiming

2015-07-01

Using the Monte Carlo transport code MCNP, neutronic calculation analysis for China helium cooled ceramic breeder test blanket module (CN HCCB TBM) and the associated shield block (together called TBM-set) has been carried out based on the latest design of HCCB TBM-set and C-lite model. Key nuclear responses of HCCB TBM-set, such as the neutron flux, tritium production rate, nuclear heating and radiation damage, have been obtained and discussed. These nuclear performance data can be used as the basic input data for other analyses of HCCB TBM-set, such as thermal-hydraulics, thermal-mechanics and safety analysis. supported by the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (973 Program) (No. 2013GB108000)

Midterm Summary of Japan-US Fusion Cooperation Program TITAN

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muroga, Takeo; Sze, Dai-Kai; Sokolov, Mikhail

2011-01-01

Japan-US cooperation program TITAN (Tritium, Irradiation and Thermofluid for America and Nippon) started in April 2007 as 6-year project. This is the summary report at the midterm of the project. Historical overview of the Japan-US cooperation programs and direction of the TITAN project in its second half are presented in addition to the technical highlights. Blankets are component systems whose principal functions are extraction of heat and tritium. Thus it is crucial to clarify the potentiality for controlling heat and tritium flow throughout the first wall, blanket and out-of-vessel recovery systems. The TITAN project continues the JUPITER-II activity but extendsmore » its scope including the first wall and the recovery systems with the title of 'Tritium and thermofluid control for magnetic and inertial confinement systems'. The objective of the program is to clarify the mechanisms of tritium and heat transfer throughout the first-wall, the blanket and the heat/tritium recovery systems under specific conditions to fusion such as irradiation, high heat flux, circulation and high magnetic fields. Based on integrated models, the breeding, transfer, inventory of tritium and heat extraction properties will be evaluated for some representative liquid breeder blankets and the necessary database will be obtained for focused research in the future.« less

Feasibility study of a fission-suppressed Tokamak fusion breeder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moir, R. W.; Lee, J. D.; Neef, W. S., Jr.; Berwald, D. H.; Garner, J. K.; Whitley, R. H.; Ghoniem, N.; Wong, C. P. C.; Maya, I.; Schultz, K. R.

1984-12-01

The preliminary conceptual design of a tokama fissile fuel producer is described. The blanket technology is based on the fission suppressed breeding concept where neutron multiplication occurs in a bed of 2 cm diameter beryllium pebbles which are cooled by helium at 50 atmospheres pressure. Uranium-233 is bred in thorium metal fuel elements which are in the form of snap rings attached to each beryllium pebble. Tritium is bred in lithium bearing material contained in tubes immersed in the pebble bed and is recovered by a purge flow of helium. The neutron wall load is 3 MW/m(2) and the blanket material is ferritic steel. The net fissile breeding ratio is 0.54 plus or minus 30% per fusion reaction. This results in the production of 4900 kg of (223)U per year from 3000 MW of fusion power. This quantity of fuel will provide makeup fuel for about 12 LWRs of equal thermal power or about 18 1 GW sub e LWRs. The calculated cost of the produced uranium-233 is between $23/g and $53/g or equivalent to $10/kg to $90/kg of U308 depending on government financing or utility financing assumptions. Additional topics discussed include the Tokamak operating mode (both steady state and long pulse considered), the design and breeding implications of using a poloidal divertor for impurity control, reactor safety, the choice of a tritium breeder, and fuel management.

A fission-fusion hybrid reactor in steady-state L-mode tokamak configuration with natural uranium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, Mark; Parker, Ronald R.; Forget, Benoit

2012-06-01

This work develops a conceptual design for a fusion-fission hybrid reactor operating in steady-state L-mode tokamak configuration with a subcritical natural or depleted uranium pebble bed blanket. A liquid lithium-lead alloy breeds enough tritium to replenish that consumed by the D-T fusion reaction. The fission blanket augments the fusion power such that the fusion core itself need not have a high power gain, thus allowing for fully non-inductive (steady-state) low confinement mode (L-mode) operation at relatively small physical dimensions. A neutron transport Monte Carlo code models the natural uranium fission blanket. Maximizing the fission power gain while breeding sufficient tritium allows for the selection of an optimal set of blanket parameters, which yields a maximum prudent fission power gain of approximately 7. A 0-D tokamak model suffices to analyze approximate tokamak operating conditions. This fission blanket would allow the fusion component of a hybrid reactor with the same dimensions as ITER to operate in steady-state L-mode very comfortably with a fusion power gain of 6.7 and a thermal fusion power of 2.1 GW. Taking this further can determine the approximate minimum scale for a steady-state L-mode tokamak hybrid reactor, which is a major radius of 5.2 m and an aspect ratio of 2.8. This minimum scale device operates barely within the steady-state L-mode realm with a thermal fusion power of 1.7 GW. Basic thermal hydraulic analysis demonstrates that pressurized helium could cool the pebble bed fission blanket with a flow rate below 10 m/s. The Brayton cycle thermal efficiency is 41%. This reactor, dubbed the Steady-state L-mode non-Enriched Uranium Tokamak Hybrid (SLEUTH), with its very fast neutron spectrum, could be superior to pure fission reactors in terms of breeding fissile fuel and transmuting deleterious fission products. It would likely function best as a prolific plutonium breeder, and the plutonium it produces could actually be more proliferation-resistant than that bred by conventional fast reactors. Furthermore, it can maintain constant total hybrid power output as burnup proceeds by varying the neutron source strength.

Neutronic investigation and activation calculation for CFETR HCCB blankets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuling, XU; Mingzhun, LEI; Sumei, LIU; Kun, LU; Kun, XU; Kun, PEI

2017-12-01

The neutronic calculations and activation behavior of the proposed helium cooled ceramic breeder (HCCB) blanket were predicted for the Chinese Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor (CFETR) design model using the MCNP multi-particle transport code and its associated data library. The tritium self-sufficiency behavior of the HCCB blanket was assessed, addressing several important breeding-related arrangements inside the blankets. Two candidate first wall armor materials were considered to obtain a proper tritium breeding ratio (TBR). Presentations of other neutronic characteristics, including neutron flux, neutron-induced damages in terms of the accumulated dpa and helium production were also conducted. Activation, decay heat levels and contact dose rates of the components were calculated to estimate the neutron-induced radioactivity and personnel safety. The results indicate that neutron radiation is efficiently attenuated and slowed down by components placed between the plasma and toroidal field coil. The dominant nuclides and corresponding isotopes in the structural steel were discussed. A radioactivity comparison between pure beryllium and beryllium with specific impurities was also performed. After a millennium cooling time, the decay heat of all the concerned components and materials is less than 1 × 10-4 kW, and most associated in-vessel components qualify for recycling by remote handling. The results demonstrate that acceptable hands-on recycling and operation still require a further long waiting period to allow the activated products to decay.

ARC: A compact, high-field, disassemblable fusion nuclear science facility and demonstration power plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorbom, Brandon; Ball, Justin; Palmer, Timothy; Mangiarotti, Franco; Sierchio, Jennifer; Bonoli, Paul; Kasten, Cale; Sutherland, Derek; Barnard, Harold; Haakonsen, Christian; Goh, Jon; Sung, Choongki; Whyte, Dennis

2014-10-01

The Affordable, Robust, Compact (ARC) reactor conceptual design aims to reduce the size, cost, and complexity of a combined Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) and demonstration fusion pilot power plant. ARC is a 270 MWe tokamak reactor with a major radius of 3.3 m, a minor radius of 1.1 m, and an on-axis magnetic field of 9.2 T. ARC has Rare Earth Barium Copper Oxide (REBCO) superconducting toroidal field coils with joints to allow disassembly, allowing for removal and replacement of the vacuum vessel as a single component. Inboard-launched current drive of 25 MW LHRF power and 13.6 MW ICRF power is used to provide a robust, steady state core plasma far from disruptive limits. ARC uses an all-liquid blanket, consisting of low pressure, slowly flowing Fluorine Lithium Beryllium (FLiBe) molten salt. The liquid blanket acts as a working fluid, coolant, and tritium breeder, and minimizes the solid material that can become activated. The large temperature range over which FLiBe is liquid permits blanket operation at 800-900 K with single phase fluid cooling and allows use of a high-efficiency Brayton cycle for electricity production in the secondary coolant loop.

Beryllium for fusion application - recent results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khomutov, A.; Barabash, V.; Chakin, V.; Chernov, V.; Davydov, D.; Gorokhov, V.; Kawamura, H.; Kolbasov, B.; Kupriyanov, I.; Longhurst, G.; Scaffidi-Argentina, F.; Shestakov, V.

2002-12-01

The main issues for the application of beryllium in fusion reactors are analyzed taking into account the latest results since the ICFRM-9 (Colorado, USA, October 1999) and presented at 5th IEA Be Workshop (10-12 October 2001, Moscow Russia). Considerable progress has been made recently in understanding the problems connected with the selection of the beryllium grades for different applications, characterization of the beryllium at relevant operational conditions (irradiation effects, thermal fatigue, etc.), and development of required manufacturing technologies. The key remaining problems related to the application of beryllium as an armour in near-term fusion reactors (e.g. ITER) are discussed. The features of the application of beryllium and beryllides as a neutron multiplier in the breeder blanket for power reactors (e.g. DEMO) in pebble-bed form are described.

Liquid metal magnetohydrodynamics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lielpeteris, J.; Moreau, R.

1989-01-01

Liquid metal MHD is the subject of this book. It is of central importance in fields like metals processing, energy conversion, nuclear engineering (fast breeders or fusion reactors), geomagnetism and astrophysics. In some circumstances fluid flow phenomena are controlled by an existing magnetic field; the melts in induction furnaces or the liquid metal blanket around future tokamak fusion reactors being significant examples. In other cases the application of an external magnetic field (or of an electric current) may generate drastic modifications in the fluid motion and in the transfer rates; such effects may be used to develop new technologies (electromagneticmore » shaping) or to improve existing techniques (electromagnetic stirring in continuous casting). In the core of the Earth, fluid motion and magnetic fields are both present and their interaction governs important phenomena.« less

POWER BREEDER REACTOR

DOEpatents

Monson, H.O.

1960-11-22

An arrangement is offered for preventing or minimizing the contraction due to temperature rise, of a reactor core comprising vertical fuel rods in sodium. Temperature rise of the fuel rods would normally make them move closer together by inward bowing, with a resultant undesired increase in reactivity. According to the present invention, assemblies of the fuel rods are laterally restrained at the lower ends of their lower blanket sections and just above the middle of the fuel sections proper of the rods, and thus the fuel sections move apart, rather than together, with increase in temperature.

Nuclear reactor for breeding U.sup.233

DOEpatents

Bohanan, Charles S.; Jones, David H.; Raab, Jr., Harry F.; Radkowsky, Alvin

1976-01-01

A light-water-cooled nuclear reactor capable of breeding U.sup.233 for use in a light-water breeder reactor includes physically separated regions containing U.sup.235 fissile material and U.sup.238 fertile material and Th.sup.232 fertile material and Pu.sup.239 fissile material, if available. Preferably the U.sup.235 fissile material and U.sup.238 fertile material are contained in longitudinally movable seed regions and the Pu.sup.239 fissile material and Th.sup.232 fertile material are contained in blanket regions surrounding the seed regions.

A fission-fusion hybrid reactor in steady-state L-mode tokamak configuration with natural uranium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reed, Mark; Parker, Ronald R.; Forget, Benoit

2012-06-19

This work develops a conceptual design for a fusion-fission hybrid reactor operating in steady-state L-mode tokamak configuration with a subcritical natural or depleted uranium pebble bed blanket. A liquid lithium-lead alloy breeds enough tritium to replenish that consumed by the D-T fusion reaction. The fission blanket augments the fusion power such that the fusion core itself need not have a high power gain, thus allowing for fully non-inductive (steady-state) low confinement mode (L-mode) operation at relatively small physical dimensions. A neutron transport Monte Carlo code models the natural uranium fission blanket. Maximizing the fission power gain while breeding sufficient tritiummore » allows for the selection of an optimal set of blanket parameters, which yields a maximum prudent fission power gain of approximately 7. A 0-D tokamak model suffices to analyze approximate tokamak operating conditions. This fission blanket would allow the fusion component of a hybrid reactor with the same dimensions as ITER to operate in steady-state L-mode very comfortably with a fusion power gain of 6.7 and a thermal fusion power of 2.1 GW. Taking this further can determine the approximate minimum scale for a steady-state L-mode tokamak hybrid reactor, which is a major radius of 5.2 m and an aspect ratio of 2.8. This minimum scale device operates barely within the steady-state L-mode realm with a thermal fusion power of 1.7 GW. Basic thermal hydraulic analysis demonstrates that pressurized helium could cool the pebble bed fission blanket with a flow rate below 10 m/s. The Brayton cycle thermal efficiency is 41%. This reactor, dubbed the Steady-state L-mode non-Enriched Uranium Tokamak Hybrid (SLEUTH), with its very fast neutron spectrum, could be superior to pure fission reactors in terms of breeding fissile fuel and transmuting deleterious fission products. It would likely function best as a prolific plutonium breeder, and the plutonium it produces could actually be more proliferation-resistant than that bred by conventional fast reactors. Furthermore, it can maintain constant total hybrid power output as burnup proceeds by varying the neutron source strength.« less

LOFA analysis in helium and Pb-Li circuits of LLCB TBM by FE simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaudhuri, Paritosh; Ranjithkumar, S.; Sharma, Deepak; Danani, Chandan

2017-04-01

One of the main ITER objectives is to demonstrate the feasibility of the breeding blanket concepts that would lead to tritium self-sufficiency and the extraction of a high-grade heat for electricity production. India has developed the LLCB TBM to be tested in ITER for the validation of design concepts for tritium breeding blankets relevant DEMO and future power reactor. LLCB concept has the unique features of combination of both solid (lithium titanate as packed pebble bed) and liquid breeders (molten lead lithium). India specific IN-RAFMS is the structural material for TBM. The First Wall is actively cooled by high-pressure helium (He) gas [1]. It is important to validate the design of TBM to withstand various loads acting on it including accident analysis like LOCA, LOFA etc. Detailed thermal-hydraulic simulation studies including LOFA in helium and Pb-Li circuits of LLCB TBM have been performed using Finite Element using ANSYS. These analyses will provide important information about the temperature distribution in different materials used in TBM during steady state and transient condition. Thermal-hydraulic safety requirement has also been envisaged for the initiation the FPPS (Fusion Power Shutdown System) during LOFA. All these analysis will be presented in detail in this paper.

Conceptual design of fast-ignition laser fusion reactor FALCON-D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goto, T.; Someya, Y.; Ogawa, Y.; Hiwatari, R.; Asaoka, Y.; Okano, K.; Sunahara, A.; Johzaki, T.

2009-07-01

A new conceptual design of the laser fusion power plant FALCON-D (Fast-ignition Advanced Laser fusion reactor CONcept with a Dry wall chamber) has been proposed. The fast-ignition method can achieve sufficient fusion gain for a commercial operation (~100) with about 10 times smaller fusion yield than the conventional central ignition method. FALCON-D makes full use of this property and aims at designing with a compact dry wall chamber (5-6 m radius). 1D/2D simulations by hydrodynamic codes showed a possibility of achieving sufficient gain with a laser energy of 400 kJ, i.e. a 40 MJ target yield. The design feasibility of the compact dry wall chamber and the solid breeder blanket system was shown through thermomechanical analysis of the dry wall and neutronics analysis of the blanket system. Moderate electric output (~400 MWe) can be achieved with a high repetition (30 Hz) laser. This dry wall reactor concept not only reduces several difficulties associated with a liquid wall system but also enables a simple cask maintenance method for the replacement of the blanket system, which can shorten the maintenance period. The basic idea of the maintenance method for the final optics system has also been proposed. Some critical R&D issues required for this design are also discussed.

Nondestructive assay of EBR-II blanket elements using resonance transmission analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klann, Raymond Todd

1998-10-01

Resonance transmission analysis utilizing a filtered reactor beam was examined as a means of determining the 239Pu content in Experimental Breeder Reactor - II depleted uranium blanket elements. The technique uses cadmium and gadolinium filters along with a 239Pu fission chamber to isolate the 0.3 eV resonance in 239Pu. In the energy range of this resonance (0.1 eV to 0.5 eV), the total microscopic cross-section of 239Pu is significantly greater than the cross- sections of 238U and 235U. This large difference allows small changes in the 239Pu content of a sample to result in large changes in the mass signal response. Tests with small stacks of depleted uranium and 239Pu foils indicate a significant change in response based on the 239Pu content of the foil stack. In addition, the tests indicate good agreement between the measured and predicted values of 239Pu up to approximately two weight percent.

In-pile tritium-permeation measurements on T91 tubes with double walls or a Fe-Al/Al 2O 3 coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conrad, R.; Bakker, K.; Chabrol, C.; Fütterer, M. A.; van der Laan, J. G.; Rigal, E.; Stijkel, M. P.

2000-12-01

Two new irradiation projects are being performed at the HFR Petten, named EXOTIC-8.9 and EXOTIC-8.10. Issues such as tritium release from candidate ceramic breeder pebbles for the HCPB blanket and tritium permeation through cooling tubes of the WCLL blanket are investigated simultaneously. In EXOTIC-8.9, the tritium release behaviour of a Li 2TiO 3 pebble bed is measured along with the tritium-permeation rate through a double-wall tube (DWT) of T91 with a Cu interlayer. In EXOTIC-8.10, the tritium release behaviour of a Li 4SiO 4 pebble bed is measured along with the tritium permeation rate through a T91 tube with a Fe-Al/Al 2O 3 coating as tritium permeation barrier (TPB). Tritium permeation phenomena are studied by variations of temperatures and purge gas conditions. This paper reports on the results of the first 100 irradiation days.

Preliminary Shielding Analysis for HCCB TBM Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Peng; Zhao, Fengchao; Cao, Qixiang; Zhang, Guoshu; Feng, Kaiming

2015-09-01

A preliminary shielding analysis on the transport of the Chinese helium cooled ceramic breeder test blanket module (HCCB TBM) from France back to China after being irradiated in ITER is presented in this contribution. Emphasis was placed on irradiation safety during transport. The dose rate calculated by MCNP/4C for the conceptual package design satisfies the relevant dose limits from IAEA that the dose rate 3 m away from the surface of the package containing low specific activity III materials should be less than 10 mSv/h. The change with location and the time evolution of dose rates after shutdown have also been studied. This will be helpful for devising the detailed transport plan of HCCB TBM back to China in the near future. supported by the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (973 Program) (No. 2013GB108000)

Ab-initio calculation for cation vacancy formation energy in anti-fluorite structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleel, V. P. Saleel Ahammad; Chitra, D.; Veluraja, K.; Eithiraj, R. D.

2018-04-01

Lithium oxide (Li2O) has been suggested as a suitable breeder blanket material for fusion reactors. Li+ vacancies are created by neutron irradiation, forming bulk defect complex whose extra character is experimentally unclear. We present a theoretical study of Li2O using density functional theory (DFT) with a plane-wave basis set. The generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and local-density approximation (LDA) were used for exchange and correlation. Here we address the total energy for defect free, cation defect, cation vacancy and vacancy formation energy in Li2O crystal in anti-fluorite structure.

Validation of numerical solvers for liquid metal flow in a complex geometry in the presence of a strong magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Anita; Pulugundla, Gautam; Smolentsev, Sergey; Abdou, Mohamed; Bhattacharyay, Rajendraprasad

2018-04-01

Following the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code validation and verification proposal by Smolentsev et al. (Fusion Eng Des 100:65-72, 2015), we perform code to code and code to experiment comparisons between two computational solvers, FLUIDYN and HIMAG, which are presently considered as two of the prospective CFD tools for fusion blanket applications. In such applications, an electrically conducting breeder/coolant circulates in the blanket ducts in the presence of a strong plasma-confining magnetic field at high Hartmann numbers, it{Ha} (it{Ha}^2 is the ratio between electromagnetic and viscous forces) and high interaction parameters, it{N} (it{N} is the ratio of electromagnetic to inertial forces). The main objective of this paper is to provide the scientific and engineering community with common references to assist fusion researchers in the selection of adequate computational means to be used for blanket design and analysis. As an initial validation case, the two codes are applied to the classic problem of a laminar fully developed MHD flows in a rectangular duct. Both codes demonstrate a very good agreement with the analytical solution for it{Ha} up to 15, 000. To address the capabilities of the two codes to properly resolve complex geometry flows, we consider a case of three-dimensional developing MHD flow in a geometry comprising of a series of interconnected electrically conducting rectangular ducts. The computed electric potential distributions for two flows (Case A) it{Ha}=515, it{N}=3.2 and (Case B) it{Ha}=2059, it{N}=63.8 are in very good agreement with the experimental data, while the comparisons for the MHD pressure drop are still unsatisfactory. To better interpret the observed differences, the obtained numerical data are analyzed against earlier theoretical and experimental studies for flows that involve changes in the relative orientation between the flow and the magnetic field.

Corrosion barriers processed by Al electroplating and their resistance against flowing Pb-15.7Li

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krauss, Wolfgang; Konys, Jürgen; Wulf, Sven-Erik

2014-12-01

In the HCLL blanket design, ferritic-martensitic steels are in direct contact with the flowing liquid breeder Pb-15.7Li and have to withstand severe corrosion attack. Beyond corrosion, T-permeation from the breeder into the RAFM-steels is also an important issue and has to be reduced significantly. Earlier work showed that Al-based coatings can act as barriers for both, however, applied processes e.g. HDA or VPS exhibited strong drawbacks in the past. Meanwhile new industrial relevant coating processes, using electroplating technology are under development and called ECA (electrochemical aluminization) and ECX (electrochemical deposition from ionic liquids) process. In this study electrochemically Al-coated and heat-treated Eurofer samples were tested in PICOLO loop for exposure times up to 12,000 h (ECA) and 2000 h (first results ECX) respectively to determine corrosion properties in flowing Pb-15.7Li (550 °C, 0.1 m/s). Cross section analysis afterward corrosion testing proved the ability of thin Al-based barriers made by electrochemical techniques to protect the bare Eurofer from corrosion attack even at exposure times of 12,000 h. Determined radial corrosion rates lay between 10 and 20 μm/a. First results for ECX coated samples (2000 h) revealed more homogeneous corrosion behavior of the barrier layer itself compared to ECA.

Irradiation behavior of LiAlO 2 and Li 2ZrO 3 ceramics in the ALICE 3 experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasneur, B.; Thevenot, G.; Bouilloux, Y.

1992-09-01

Within the framework of the investigation of ceramic breeders for the DEMO relevant solid blankets developed in Europe, the ALICE 3 experiment was foreseen to study the irradiation behavior of the ceramics. The irradiation was performed in the core of the OSIRIS reactor for 46 FPD (full power days) at 400°C and 600°C. The three ceramics in the configuration contemplated in the BIT and BOT concepts were tested, i.e. LiAlO 2 and Li 2ZrO 3 pellets, Li 4SiO 4 and Li 2ZrO 3 pebbles, respectively. In this paper are reported the results of the post-irradiation examination carried out at CEA on CEA Li 2ZrO 3 and LiAlO 2 specimens: dimensions, X-ray diffraction, ultimate bending strength, diametral compressive strength and residual tritium.

Analysis of the Gas Core Actinide Transmutation Reactor (GCATR)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, J. D.; Rust, J. H.

1977-01-01

Design power plant studies were carried out for two applications of the plasma core reactor: (1) As a breeder reactor, (2) As a reactor able to transmute actinides effectively. In addition to the above applications the reactor produced electrical power with a high efficiency. A reactor subsystem was designed for each of the two applications. For the breeder reactor, neutronics calculations were carried out for a U-233 plasma core with a molten salt breeding blanket. A reactor was designed with a low critical mass (less than a few hundred kilograms U-233) and a breeding ratio of 1.01. The plasma core actinide transmutation reactor was designed to transmute the nuclear waste from conventional LWR's. The spent fuel is reprocessed during which 100% of Np, Am, Cm, and higher actinides are separated from the other components. These actinides are then manufactured as oxides into zirconium clad fuel rods and charged as fuel assemblies in the reflector region of the plasma core actinide transmutation reactor. In the equilibrium cycle, about 7% of the actinides are directly fissioned away, while about 31% are removed by reprocessing.

Emergency core cooling system

DOEpatents

Schenewerk, William E.; Glasgow, Lyle E.

1983-01-01

A liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactor provided with an emergency core cooling system includes a reactor vessel which contains a reactor core comprising an array of fuel assemblies and a plurality of blanket assemblies. The reactor core is immersed in a pool of liquid metal coolant. The reactor also includes a primary coolant system comprising a pump and conduits for circulating liquid metal coolant to the reactor core and through the fuel and blanket assemblies of the core. A converging-diverging venturi nozzle with an intermediate throat section is provided in between the assemblies and the pump. The intermediate throat section of the nozzle is provided with at least one opening which is in fluid communication with the pool of liquid sodium. In normal operation, coolant flows from the pump through the nozzle to the assemblies with very little fluid flowing through the opening in the throat. However, when the pump is not running, residual heat in the core causes fluid from the pool to flow through the opening in the throat of the nozzle and outwardly through the nozzle to the assemblies, thus providing a means of removing decay heat.

Investigation of heat transfer in liquid-metal flows under fusion-reactor conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poddubnyi, I. I.; Pyatnitskaya, N. Yu.; Razuvanov, N. G.; Sviridov, V. G.; Sviridov, E. V.; Leshukov, A. Yu.; Aleskovskiy, K. V.; Obukhov, D. M.

2016-12-01

The effect discovered in studying a downward liquid-metal flow in vertical pipe and in a channel of rectangular cross section in, respectively, a transverse and a coplanar magnetic field is analyzed. In test blanket modules (TBM), which are prototypes of a blanket for a demonstration fusion reactor (DEMO) and which are intended for experimental investigations at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), liquid metals are assumed to fulfil simultaneously the functions of (i) a tritium breeder, (ii) a coolant, and (iii) neutron moderator and multiplier. This approach to testing experimentally design solutions is motivated by plans to employ, in the majority of the currently developed DEMO blanket projects, liquid metals pumped through pipes and/or rectangular channels in a transvers magnetic field. At the present time, experiments that would directly simulate liquid-metal flows under conditions of ITER TBM and/or DEMO blanket operation (irradiation with thermonuclear neutrons, a cyclic temperature regime, and a magnetic-field strength of about 4 to 10 T) are not implementable for want of equipment that could reproduce simultaneously the aforementioned effects exerted by thermonuclear plasmas. This is the reason why use is made of an iterative approach to experimentally estimating the performance of design solutions for liquid-metal channels via simulating one or simultaneously two of the aforementioned factors. Therefore, the investigations reported in the present article are of considerable topical interest. The respective experiments were performed on the basis of the mercury magneto hydrodynamic (MHD) loop that is included in the structure of the MPEI—JIHT MHD experimental facility. Temperature fields were measured under conditions of two- and one-sided heating, and data on averaged-temperature fields, distributions of the wall temperature, and statistical fluctuation features were obtained. A substantial effect of counter thermo gravitational convection (TGC) on averaged and fluctuating quantities were found. The development of TGC in the presence of a magnetic field leads to the appearance of low-frequency fluctuations whose anomalously high intensity exceeds severalfold the level of turbulence fluctuations. This effect manifest itself over a broad region of regime parameters. It was confirmed that low-energy fluctuations penetrate readily through the wall; therefore, it is necessary to study this effect further—in particular, from the point of view of the fatigue strength of the walls of liquid-metal channels.

Investigation of heat transfer in liquid-metal flows under fusion-reactor conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Poddubnyi, I. I., E-mail: poddubnyyii@nikiet.ru; Pyatnitskaya, N. Yu.; Razuvanov, N. G.

2016-12-15

The effect discovered in studying a downward liquid-metal flow in vertical pipe and in a channel of rectangular cross section in, respectively, a transverse and a coplanar magnetic field is analyzed. In test blanket modules (TBM), which are prototypes of a blanket for a demonstration fusion reactor (DEMO) and which are intended for experimental investigations at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), liquid metals are assumed to fulfil simultaneously the functions of (i) a tritium breeder, (ii) a coolant, and (iii) neutron moderator and multiplier. This approach to testing experimentally design solutions is motivated by plans to employ, in themore » majority of the currently developed DEMO blanket projects, liquid metals pumped through pipes and/or rectangular channels in a transvers magnetic field. At the present time, experiments that would directly simulate liquid-metal flows under conditions of ITER TBM and/or DEMO blanket operation (irradiation with thermonuclear neutrons, a cyclic temperature regime, and a magnetic-field strength of about 4 to 10 T) are not implementable for want of equipment that could reproduce simultaneously the aforementioned effects exerted by thermonuclear plasmas. This is the reason why use is made of an iterative approach to experimentally estimating the performance of design solutions for liquid-metal channels via simulating one or simultaneously two of the aforementioned factors. Therefore, the investigations reported in the present article are of considerable topical interest. The respective experiments were performed on the basis of the mercury magneto hydrodynamic (MHD) loop that is included in the structure of the MPEI—JIHT MHD experimental facility. Temperature fields were measured under conditions of two- and one-sided heating, and data on averaged-temperature fields, distributions of the wall temperature, and statistical fluctuation features were obtained. A substantial effect of counter thermo gravitational convection (TGC) on averaged and fluctuating quantities were found. The development of TGC in the presence of a magnetic field leads to the appearance of low-frequency fluctuations whose anomalously high intensity exceeds severalfold the level of turbulence fluctuations. This effect manifest itself over a broad region of regime parameters. It was confirmed that low-energy fluctuations penetrate readily through the wall; therefore, it is necessary to study this effect further—in particular, from the point of view of the fatigue strength of the walls of liquid-metal channels.« less

Neutronics and activation analysis of lithium-based ternary alloys in IFE blankets

DOE PAGES

Jolodosky, Alejandra; Kramer, Kevin; Meier, Wayne; ...

2016-04-09

Here we report that an attractive feature of using liquid lithium as the breeder and coolant in fusion blankets is that it has very high tritium solubility and results in very low levels of tritium permeation throughout the facility infrastructure. However, lithium metal vigorously reacts with air and water and presents plant safety concerns. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is carrying an effort to develop a lithium-based alloy that maintains the beneficial properties of lithium (e.g. high tritium breeding and solubility) and at the same time reduces overall flammability concerns. This study evaluates the neutronics performance of lithium-based alloys inmore » the blanket of an inertial fusion energy chamber in order to inform such development. 3-D Monte Carlo calculations were performed to evaluate two main neutronics performance parameters for the blanket: tritium breeding ratio (TBR), and the fusion energy multiplication factor (EMF). It was found that elements that exhibit low absorption cross sections and higher q-values such as lead, tin, and strontium, perform well with those that have high neutron multiplication such as lead and bismuth. These elements meet TBR constrains ranging from 1.02 to 1.1. However, most alloys do not reach EMFs greater than 1.15. Additionally, it was found that enriching lithium significantly increases the TBR and decreases the minimum lithium concentration by more than 60%. The amount of enrichment depends on how much total lithium is in the alloy to begin with. Alloys that performed well in the TBR and EMF calculations were considered for activation analysis. Activation simulations were executed with 50 years of irradiation and 300 years of cooling. It was discovered that bismuth is a poor choice due to achieving the highest decay heat, contact dose rates, and accident doses. In addition, it does not meet the waste disposal ratings (WDR). Some of the activation results for alloys with tin, zinc, and gallium were in the higher end and should be considered secondary to elements such as strontium and barium that had overall better results. The results of this study along with other considerations such as thermodynamics, and chemical reactivity will help down select a preferred lithium ternary alloy.« less

Core design of a direct-cycle, supercritical-water-cooled fast breeder reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jevremovic, T.; Oka, Yoshiaki; Koshizuka, Seiichi

1994-10-01

The conceptual design of a direct-cycle fast breeder reactor (FBR) core cooled by supercritical water is carried out as a step toward a low-cost FBR plant. The supercritical water does not exhibit change of phase. The turbines are directly driven by the core outlet coolant. In comparison with a boiling water reactor (BWR), the recirculation systems, steam separators, and dryers are eliminated. The reactor system is much simpler than the conventional steam-cooled FBRs, which adopted Loeffler boilers and complicated coolant loops for generating steam and separating it from water. Negative complete and partial coolant void reactivity are provided without muchmore » deterioration in the breeding performances by inserting thin zirconium-hydride layers between the seeds and blankets in a radially heterogeneous core. The net electric power is 1245 MW (electric). The estimated compound system doubling time is 25 yr. The discharge burnup is 77.7 GWd/t, and the refueling period is 15 months with a 73% load factor. The thermal efficiency is high (41.5%), an improvement of 24% relative to a BWR's. The pressure vessel is not thick at 30.3 cm.« less

Development of a Flammability Test Method for Aircraft Blankets

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-03-01

Flammability testing of aircraft blankets was conducted in order to develop a fire performance test method and performance criteria for blankets supplied to commercial aircraft operators. Aircraft blankets were subjected to vertical Bunsen burner tes...

Current Trends of Blanket Research and Deveopment in Japan 4.Blanket Technology Development Using ITER for Demonstration and Commercial Fusion Power Plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akiba, Masato; Jitsukawa, Shiroh; Muroga, Takeo

This paper describes the status of blanket technology and material development for fusion power demonstration plants and commercial fusion plants. In particular, the ITER Test Blanket Module, IFMIF, JAERI/DOE HFIR and JUPITER-II projects are highlighted, which have the important role to develop these technology. The ITER Test Blanket Module project has been conducted to demonstrate tritium breeding and power generation using test blanket modules, which will be installed into the ITER facility. For structural material development, the present research status is overviewed on reduced activation ferritic steel, vanadium alloys, and SiC/SiC composites.

Design concept of K-DEMO for near-term implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, K.; Im, K.; Kim, H. C.; Oh, S.; Park, J. S.; Kwon, S.; Lee, Y. S.; Yeom, J. H.; Lee, C.; Lee, G.-S.; Neilson, G.; Kessel, C.; Brown, T.; Titus, P.; Mikkelsen, D.; Zhai, Y.

2015-05-01

A Korean fusion energy development promotion law (FEDPL) was enacted in 2007. As a following step, a conceptual design study for a steady-state Korean fusion demonstration reactor (K-DEMO) was initiated in 2012. After the thorough 0D system analysis, the parameters of the main machine characterized by the major and minor radii of 6.8 and 2.1 m, respectively, were chosen for further study. The analyses of heating and current drives were performed for the development of the plasma operation scenarios. Preliminary results on lower hybrid and neutral beam current drive are included herein. A high performance Nb3Sn-based superconducting conductor is adopted, providing a peak magnetic field approaching 16 T with the magnetic field at the plasma centre above 7 T. Pressurized water is the prominent choice for the main coolant of K-DEMO when the balance of plant development details is considered. The blanket system adopts a ceramic pebble type breeder. Considering plasma performance, a double-null divertor is the reference configuration choice of K-DEMO. For a high availability operation, K-DEMO incorporates a design with vertical maintenance. A design concept for K-DEMO is presented together with the preliminary design parameters.

NUCLEAR REACTOR FUEL-BREEDER FUEL ELEMENT

DOEpatents

Currier, E.L. Jr.; Nicklas, J.H.

1962-08-14

A fuel-breeder fuel element was developed for a nuclear reactor wherein discrete particles of fissionable material are dispersed in a matrix of fertile breeder material. The fuel element combines the advantages of a dispersion type and a breeder-type. (AEC)

Chemical reactivity of SiC fibre-reinforced SiC with beryllium and lithium ceramic breeder materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleykamp, H.

2000-12-01

SiC fibre-reinforced SiC fabrics (f-SiC/SiC) are considered for structural materials of advanced fusion blanket concepts. Priority tasks are compatibility studies of SiC with Li breeder ceramics and the Be neutron multiplier. Isothermal and anisothermal powder reactions by DTA up to 1220°C were examined between Li 4SiO 4, Li 2ZrO 3 and Li 2TiO 3, respectively, and SiC and SiC/SiO 2 mixtures, respectively. The SiC/SiO 2 mixture simulated the chemical state of Nicalon fibres. Solid state reactions between SiC and Be pellets were studied by capsule experiments. The reaction products Be 2C and Si were observed between the initial phases after annealing at 800°C and 900°C. A parabolic time law with a chemical diffusion coefficient D˜=2.6×10 -15 m 2/s of Be in the products was deduced at 900°C. Additional oxygen released from SiO 2 as a component of the simulated fibres oxidised the reaction products via the gas phase by formation of a Be 2SiO 4 layer. All reactions are kinetically hindered below 700°C.

Two conceptual designs of helical fusion reactor FFHR-d1A based on ITER technologies and challenging ideas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagara, A.; Miyazawa, J.; Tamura, H.; Tanaka, T.; Goto, T.; Yanagi, N.; Sakamoto, R.; Masuzaki, S.; Ohtani, H.; The FFHR Design Group

2017-08-01

The Fusion Engineering Research Project (FERP) at the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) is conducting conceptual design activities for the LHD-type helical fusion reactor FFHR-d1A. This paper newly defines two design options, ‘basic’ and ‘challenging.’ Conservative technologies, including those that will be demonstrated in ITER, are chosen in the basic option in which two helical coils are made of continuously wound cable-in-conduit superconductors of Nb3Sn strands, the divertor is composed of water-cooled tungsten monoblocks, and the blanket is composed of water-cooled ceramic breeders. In contrast, new ideas that would possibly be beneficial for making the reactor design more attractive are boldly included in the challenging option in which the helical coils are wound by connecting high-temperature REBCO superconductors using mechanical joints, the divertor is composed of a shower of molten tin jets, and the blanket is composed of molten salt FLiNaBe including Ti powers to increase hydrogen solubility. The main targets of the challenging option are early construction and easy maintenance of a large and three-dimensionally complicated helical structure, high thermal efficiency, and, in particular, realistic feasibility of the helical reactor.

Conceptual design study for heat exhaust management in the ARC fusion pilot plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dennett, C. A.; Cao, N. M.; Creely, A. J.; Hecla, J.; Hoffman, H.; Kuang, A. Q.; Major, M.; Ruiz Ruiz, J.; Tinguely, R. A.; Tolman, E. A.; Brunner, D.; Labombard, B.; Sorbom, B. N.; Whyte, D. G.; Grover, P.; Laughman, C.

2017-10-01

The ARC pilot plant conceptual design study has been extended to explore solutions for managing heat exhaust resulting from 525 MW of fusion power in a compact (R 3.3 m) tokamak. Superconducting poloidal field coils are configured to produce double-null equilibria that support X-point target divertors while maintaining the original core plasma shape and toroidal field coil size. Long outer divertor legs are appended to the original vacuum vessel, providing both large surface areas for surface dissipation of radiative heat and significantly reduced neutron damage for divertor components. A molten salt FLiBe blanket adequately shields all superconductors and functions as a tritium breeder, with advanced neutronics calculations indicating a tritium breeding ratio of 1.08. In addition, FLiBe is used as the active coolant for the entire vessel. A tungsten swirl-tube cooling channel is implemented in the divertor, capable of exhausting 12 MW/m2, heat flux while keeping total FliBe pumping power below 1% of fusion power. Finally, three novel diagnostics are explored: Cherenkov radiation emitted in FLiBe to measure fusion reaction rate, microwave interferometry to measure divertor detachment front location, and IR imaging through the FLiBe blanket to monitor selected divertor ``hotspots.''

Activation and Environmental Aspects of In-Vacuum Vessel Components of CFETR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaokang; Liu, Songlin; Zhu, Qingjun; Gao, Fangfang; Li, Jia

2016-11-01

The water-cooled ceramic breeder (WCCB) blanket is one of the three candidates of China's Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR). The evaluation of the radioactivity and decay heat produced by neutrons for the in-vacuum vessel components is essential for the assessment of radioactive wastes and the safety of CFETR. The activation calculation of CFETR in-vacuum vessel components was carried out by using the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code MCNP, IAEA Fusion Evaluated Nuclear Data Library FENDL2.1, and the nuclear inventory code FISPACT-2007 and corresponding EAF-2007 libraries. In these analyses, the three-dimensional (3-D) neutronics model was employed and the WCCB blanket, the divertor, and the shield were modeled in detail to provide the detailed spatial distribution of the neutron flux and energy spectra. Then the neutron flux, energy spectra and the materials specification were transferred to FISPACT for the activation calculation with an assumed irradiation scenario of CFETR. This paper presents the main results of the activation analysis to evaluate the radioactivity, the decay heat, the contact dose, and the waste classification of the radioactive materials. At the time of shutdown, the activity of the WCCB blanket is 1.88×1019 Bq and the specific activity, the decay heat and the contact dose rate are 1.7 × 1013 Bq/kg, 3.05 MW, and 2.0 × 103 Sv/h respectively. After cooling for 100 years, 79% (4166.4 tons) radioactive wastes produced from the blanket, divertor, high temperature shield (HTS) and low temperature shield (LTS) need near surface disposal, while 21% (1112.3 tons) need geological disposal. According to results of the contact dose rate, all the components of the blanket, divertor, HTS and LTS could potentially be recycled after shutdown by using advanced remote handling equipment. In addition, the selection of Eurofer97 or RAFM for the divertor is better than that of SS316 because SS316 makes the activity of the divertor-body keep at a relatively high level. supported by the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Science Program of China (Nos. 2013GB108004, 2015BG108002, 2014GB122000, 2014GB119000), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11175207)

Investigation of wetting property between liquid lead lithium alloy and several structural materials for Chinese DEMO reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Wei; Wang, Weihua; Jiang, Haiyan; Zuo, Guizhong; Pan, Baoguo; Xu, Wei; Chu, Delin; Hu, Jiansheng; Qi, Junli

2017-10-01

The dual-cooled lead lithium (PbLi) blanket is considered as one of the main options for the Chinese demonstration reactor (DEMO). Liquid PbLi alloy is used as the breeder material and coolant. Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steel, stainless steel and the silicon carbide ceramic matrix composite (SiCf) are selected as the substrate materials for different use. To investigate the wetting property and inter-facial interactions of PbLi/RAFM steel, PbLi/SS316L, PbLi/SiC and PbLi/SiCf couples, in this paper, the special vacuum experimental device is built, and the 'dispensed droplet' modification for the classic sessile droplet technique is made. Contact angles are measured between the liquid PbLi and the various candidate materials at blanket working temperature from 260 to 480 °C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used to characterize the surface components of PbLi droplets and substrate materials, in order to study the element trans-port and corrosion mechanism. Results show that SiC composite (SiCf) and SiC ceramic show poor wetting properties with the liquid PbLi alloy. Surface roughness and testing temperature only provide tiny improvements on the wetting property below 480 °C. RAFM steel performs better wetting properties and corrosion residence when contacted with molten PbLi, while SS316L shows low corrosion residence above 420 °C for the decomposition of protective surface film mainly consisted of chromic sesquioxide. The results could provide meaningful compatibility database of liquid PbLi alloy and valuable reference in engineering design of candidate structural and functional materials for future fusion blanket.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sundar Rajan, S.; Sinha, A.K.; Sachan, Udai G.P.

4-Tesla warm bore superconducting magnet is being constructed at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in India. The adiabatically cooled superconducting magnet will be used for corrosion and Magneto Hydro Dynamic (MHD) studies related to development of Lead Lithium Cooled Ceramic Breeder (LLCB) test blanket module (TBM). Magnet aperture is of 300 mm diameter and is accessible from both ends. Magnet is completely immersed in liquid helium bath at 4.2K. The stored magnetic energy during normal operation is 2.6 MJ. Huge amount of Lorentz forces acts on the magnet coils during operation. These forces try to axially compress the coils and causemore » outward radial movement of the conductor. Micro meter movement of the coils result in energy deposition due to large operating fields. This energy, albeit small, is still sufficient to cause quench in the magnet as the heat capacities at cryogenic temperatures are very low. Pre-stressing and banding of the superconducting strands help to overcome conductor movement by increasing structural rigidity. This paper describes the thermal, structural and magnetic design the superconducting solenoid magnet. (author)« less

Georgia Institute of Technology research on the Gas Core Actinide Transmutation Reactor (GCATR)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, J. D.; Rust, J. H.; Schneider, A.; Hohl, F.

1976-01-01

The program reviewed is a study of the feasibility, design, and optimization of the GCATR. The program is designed to take advantage of initial results and to continue work carried out on the Gas Core Breeder Reactor. The program complements NASA's program of developing UF6 fueled cavity reactors for power, nuclear pumped lasers, and other advanced technology applications. The program comprises: (1) General Studies--Parametric survey calculations performed to examine the effects of reactor spectrum and flux level on the actinide transmutation for GCATR conditions. The sensitivity of the results to neutron cross sections are to be assessed. Specifically, the parametric calculations of the actinide transmutation are to include the mass, isotope composition, fission and capture rates, reactivity effects, and neutron activity of recycled actinides. (2) GCATR Design Studies--This task is a major thrust of the proposed research program. Several subtasks are considered: optimization criteria studies of the blanket and fuel reprocessing, the actinide insertion and recirculation system, and the system integration. A brief review of the background of the GCATR and ongoing research is presented.

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, China: Energy.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-30

breeder reactors should become...the primary type of reactors . In developing breeder reactors , we should follow the path of using metal fuel. Breeder reactors give us more time to...first reactor used for power generation was a fast reactor : the " Breeder 1" reactor at the Idaho National Reactor Test Center which was used to

Overview of Indian activities on fusion reactor materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Srikumar

2014-12-01

This paper on overview of Indian activities on fusion reactor materials describes in brief the efforts India has made to develop materials for the first wall of a tokamak, its blanket and superconducting magnet coils. Through a systematic and scientific approach, India has developed and commercially produced reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steel that is comparable to Eurofer 97. Powder of low activation ferritic/martensitic oxide dispersion strengthened steel with characteristics desired for its application in the first wall of a tokamak has been produced on the laboratory scale. V-4Cr-4Ti alloy was also prepared in the laboratory, and kinetics of hydrogen absorption in this was investigated. Cu-1 wt%Cr-0.1 wt%Zr - an alloy meant for use as heat transfer elements for hypervapotrons and heat sink for the first wall - was developed and characterized in detail for its aging behavior. The role of addition of a small quantity of Zr in its improved fatigue performance was delineated, and its diffusion bonding with both W and stainless steel was achieved using Ni as an interlayer. The alloy was produced in large quantities and used for manufacturing both the heat transfer elements and components for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). India has proposed to install and test a lead-lithium cooled ceramic breeder test blanket module (LLCB-TBM) at ITER. To meet this objective, efforts have been made to produce and characterize Li2TiO3 pebbles, and also improve the thermal conductivity of packed beds of these pebbles. Liquid metal loops have been set up and corrosion behavior of RAFM steel in flowing Pb-Li eutectic has been studied in the presence as well as absence of magnetic fields. To prevent permeation of tritium and reduce the magneto-hydro-dynamic drag, processes have been developed for coating alumina on RAFM steel. Apart from these activities, different approaches being attempted to make the U-shaped first wall of the TBM box are briefly described. India has also initiated the development of fusion grade superconductors. Success achieved in the fabrication of Nb3Sn based multi-filamentary wires using the internal tin process and cable-in-conduit-conductors is also briefly presented.

Corrosion and stress corrosion cracking of ferritic/martensitic steel in super critical pressurized water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirose, T.; Shiba, K.; Enoeda, M.; Akiba, M.

2007-08-01

A water-cooled solid breeder (WCSB) blanket cooled by high temperature SCPW (super critical pressurized water) is a practical option of DEMO reactor. Therefore, it is necessary to check the compatibility of the steel with SCPW. In this work, reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steel, F82H has been tested through slow strain rate tests (SSRT) in 23.5 MPa SCPW. And weight change behavior was measured up to 1000 h. F82H did not demonstrated stress corrosion cracking and its weight simply increased with surface oxidation. The weight change of F82H was almost same as commercial 9%-Cr steels. According to a cross-sectional analysis and weight change behavior, corrosion rate of F82H in the 823 K SCPW is estimated to be 0.04 mm/yr.

Improved Acoustic Blanket Developed and Tested

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

Acoustic blankets are used in the payload fairing of expendable launch vehicles to reduce the fairing's interior acoustics and the subsequent vibration response of the spacecraft. The Cassini spacecraft, to be launched on a Titan IV in October 1997, requires acoustic levels lower than those provided by the standard Titan IV blankets. Therefore, new acoustic blankets were recently developed and tested to reach NASA's goal of reducing the Titan IV acoustic environment to the allowable levels for the Cassini spacecraft.

Application of computational fluid dynamics for the simulation of cryogenic molecular sieve bed absorber of hydrogen isotopes recovery system for Indian LLCB-TBM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gayathri Devi, V.; Sircar, A.; Sarkar, B.

One of the most challenging tasks in the design of the fuel cycle system lies in the effective design of Tritium Extraction System (TES) which involves proper extraction and purification of tritium in the fuel cycle of the fusion reactor. Indian Lead Lithium cooled Ceramic Breeder Test Blanket Module (LLCB-TBM) would extract hydrogen isotopes through Cryogenic Molecular Sieve Bed (CMSB) adsorber system. A prototype Hydrogen Isotopes Recovery System (HIRS) is being developed to validate the concepts for tritium extraction by adsorption mass transfer mechanism. In this study, a design model has been developed and analyzed to simulate the adsorption massmore » transfer kinetics in a fixed bed adsorption column. The simulation leads primarily to effective design of HIRS, which is a state-of-the-art technology. The paper describes the process simulation approach and the results of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis. The effects of different operating conditions are studied to investigate their influence on the hydrogen isotopes adsorption capacity. The results of the present simulation study would be used to understand the best optimized transport phenomenon before realizing the TES as a system for LLCB-TBM. (authors)« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buchanan, J.R.; Keilholtz, G.W.

This report discusses the current status of liquid-metal fast breeder (LMFBR) development and one of the principal safety issues, a hypothetical core-disruptive accident (HCDA). Bibliographic information on worldwide LMFBRs relative to the development of the breeder reactor as a safe source of nuclear power is presented for the period 1960 through 1969. The bibliography consists of 1560 abstracts covering early research and development and operating experiences leading up to the present design practices that are necessary for the licensing of breeder reactors. Key-word, author, and permuted-title indexes are included for completeness.

Unidentified Factors in Jojoba Meal Prevent Oviduct Development in Broiler Breeder Females.

PubMed

Vermaut; Onagbesan; Bruggeman; Verhoeven; Berghman; Flo; Cokelaere; Decuypere

1998-01-19

Supplementation of feed with jojoba meal, as a means for autonomous feed restriction, was successful in depressing feed intake and controlling body weight of broiler breeder pullets to the extent recommended by the breeder company. However, these broiler breeders never produced eggs. At the level of ovary, normal follicle development and maturation did occur. A considerable number of ovulations occurred which were not followed by oviposition. After ovulation, the ova could not be captured by the oviduct, because of the small size of the oviduct, resulting in "internal laying". The virtual absence of oviduct development cannot be explained presently but it must be due to some yet unidentified factor(s) in jojoba meal which prevent(s) the normal development of the oviduct. These factors may be acting by abnormally increasing plasma progesterone or triiodothyronin levels and/or directly by themselves interfering with oviduct development. The nature of these factors requires further investigations.

Cassini/Titan-4 Acoustic Blanket Development and Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, William O.; McNelis, Anne M.

1996-01-01

NASA Lewis Research Center recently led a multi-organizational effort to develop and test verify new acoustic blankets. These blankets support NASA's goal in reducing the Titan-4 payload fairing internal acoustic environment to allowable levels for the Cassini spacecraft. To accomplish this goal a two phase acoustic test program was utilized. Phase One consisted of testing numerous blanket designs in a flat panel configuration. Phase Two consisted of testing the most promising designs out of Phase One in a full scale cylindrical payload fairing. This paper will summarize this highly successful test program by providing the rationale and results for each test phase, the impacts of this testing on the Cassini mission, as well as providing some general information on blanket designs.

Fusion reactor blanket/shield design study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, D. L.; Clemmer, R. G.; Harkness, S. D.; Jung, J.; Krazinski, J. L.; Mattas, R. F.; Stevens, H. C.; Youngdahl, C. K.; Trachsel, C.; Bowers, D.

1979-07-01

A joint study of Tokamak reactor first wall/blanket/shield technology was conducted to identify key technological limitations for various tritium breeding blanket design concepts, establishment of a basis for assessment and comparison of the design features of each concept, and development of optimized blanket designs. The approach used involved a review of previously proposed blanket designs, analysis of critical technological problems and design features associated with each of the blanket concepts, and a detailed evaluation of the most tractable design concepts. Tritium breeding blanket concepts were evaluated according to the proposed coolant. The effort concentrated on evaluation of lithium and water cooled blanket designs and helium and molten salt cooled designs. Generalized nuclear analysis of the tritium breeding performance, an analysis of tritium breeding requirements, and a first wall stress analysis were conducted as part of the study. The impact of coolant selection on the mechanical design of a Tokamak reactor was evaluated. Reference blanket designs utilizing the four candidate coolants are presented.

Breeder Reactors, Understanding the Atom Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Walter, III; Turner, Stanley E.

The theory of breeder reactors in relationship to a discussion of fission is presented. Different kinds of reactors are characterized by the cooling fluids used, such as liquid metal, gas, and molten salt. The historical development of breeder reactors over the past twenty-five years includes specific examples of reactors. The location and a brief…

Hubble Space Telescope Thermal Blanket Repair Design and Implementation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ousley, Wes; Skladany, Joseph; Dell, Lawrence

2000-01-01

Substantial damage to the outer layer of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) thermal blankets was observed during the February 1997 servicing mission. After six years in LEO, many areas of the aluminized Teflon(R) outer blanket layer had significant cracks, and some material was peeled away to expose inner layers to solar flux. After the mission, the failure mechanism was determined, and repair materials and priorities were selected for follow-on missions. This paper focuses on the thermal, mechanical, and EVA design requirements for the blanket repair, the creative solutions developed for these unique problems, hardware development, and testing.

Study on the temperature control mechanism of the tritium breeding blanket for CFETR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Changle; Qiu, Yang; Zhang, Jie; Zhang, Jianzhong; Li, Lei; Yao, Damao; Li, Guoqiang; Gao, Xiang; Wu, Songtao; Wan, Yuanxi

2017-12-01

The Chinese fusion engineering testing reactor (CFETR) will demonstrate tritium self- sufficiency using a tritium breeding blanket for the tritium fuel cycle. The temperature control mechanism (TCM) involves the tritium production of the breeding blanket and has an impact on tritium self-sufficiency. In this letter, the CFETR tritium target is addressed according to its missions. TCM research on the neutronics and thermal hydraulics issues for the CFETR blanket is presented. The key concerns regarding the blanket design for tritium production under temperature field control are depicted. A systematic theory on the TCM is established based on a multiplier blanket model. In particular, a closed-loop method is developed for the mechanism with universal function solutions, which is employed in the CFETR blanket design activity for tritium production. A tritium accumulation phenomenon is found close to the coolant in the blanket interior, which has a very important impact on current blanket concepts using water coolant inside the blanket. In addition, an optimal tritium breeding ratio (TBR) method based on the TCM is proposed, combined with thermal hydraulics and finite element technology. Meanwhile, the energy gain factor is adopted to estimate neutron heat deposition, which is a key parameter relating to the blanket TBR calculations, considering the structural factors. This work will benefit breeding blanket engineering for the CFETR reactor in the future.

Development of a new multi-layer insulation blanket with non-interlayer-contact spacer for space cryogenic mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyakita, Takeshi; Hatakenaka, Ryuta; Sugita, Hiroyuki; Saitoh, Masanori; Hirai, Tomoyuki

2014-11-01

For conventional Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) blankets, it is difficult to control the layer density and the thermal insulation performance degrades due to the increase in conductive heat leak through interlayer contacts. At low temperatures, the proportion of conductive heat transfer through MLI blankets is large compared to that of radiative heat transfer, hence the decline in thermal insulation performance is significant. A new type of MLI blanket using new spacers; the Non-Interlayer-Contact Spacer MLI (NICS MLI) has been developed. This new MLI blanket uses small discrete spacers and can exclude uncertain interlayer contact between films. It is made of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) making it suitable for space use. The cross-sectional area to length ratio of the spacer is 1.0 × 10-5 m with a 10 mm diameter and 4 mm height. The insulation performance is measured with a boil-off calorimeter. Because the NICS MLI blanket can exclude uncertain interlayer contact, the test results showed good agreement with estimations. Furthermore, the NICS MLI blanket shows significantly good insulation performance (effective emissivity is 0.0046 at ordinary temperature), particularly at low temperatures, due to the high thermal resistance of this spacer.

Stainless steel blanket concept for tokamaks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karbowski, J.S.; Lee, A.Y.; Prevenslik, T.V.

1979-01-25

The purpose of this joint ORNL/Westinghouse Program is to develop a design concept for a tokamak reactor blanket system which satisfies engineering requirements for a utility environment. While previous blanket studies have focused primarily on performance issues (thermal, neutronic, and structural), this study has emphasized consideration of reliability, fabricability, and lifetime.

75 FR 51482 - Woven Electric Blankets From China

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-20

... From China Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the subject investigation, the... injured by reason of imports from China of woven electric blankets, provided for in subheading 6301.10.00... notification of a preliminary determination by Commerce that imports of woven electric blankets from China were...

Toughened Thermal Blanket for MMOD Protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christiansen, Eric L.; Lear, Dana M.

2014-01-01

Thermal blankets are used extensively on spacecraft to provide passive thermal control of spacecraft hardware from thermal extremes encountered in space. Toughened thermal blankets have been developed that greatly improve protection from hypervelocity micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) impacts. These blankets can be outfitted if so desired with a reliable means to determine the location, depth and extent of MMOD impact damage by incorporating an impact sensitive piezoelectric film. Improved MMOD protection of thermal blankets was obtained by adding selective materials at various locations within the thermal blanket. As given in Figure 1, three types of materials were added to the thermal blanket to enhance its MMOD performance: (1) disrupter layers, near the outside of the blanket to improve breakup of the projectile, (2) standoff layers, in the middle of the blanket to provide an area or gap that the broken-up projectile can expand, and (3) stopper layers, near the back of the blanket where the projectile debris is captured and stopped. The best suited materials for these different layers vary. Density and thickness is important for the disrupter layer (higher densities generally result in better projectile breakup), whereas a highstrength to weight ratio is useful for the stopper layer, to improve the slowing and capture of debris particles.

Carter's breeder policy has failed, claims Westinghouse manager

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1979-07-01

Nuclear nations developing liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) technology have not been dissuaded by President Carter's efforts to stop the breeder program as a way to control the proliferation of nuclear weapons. There is no evidence that Carter's policy of moral persuasion has had any impact on their efforts. A review of the eight leading countries cites their extensive progress in the areas of breeder technology and fuel reprocessing, while the US has made only slight gains. The Fast Flux Test Facility at Hanford is near completion, but the Clinch River project has been slowed to a minimum.

Retractable Sun Shade

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, A.; Derespinis, S. F.; Mockovciak, John, Jr.

1986-01-01

Window-shade type spring roller contains blanket, taken up by rotating cylindrical frame and held by frame over area to be shaded. Blanket made of tough, opaque polyimide material. Readily unfurled by mechanism to protect space it encloses from Sun. Blanket forms arched canopy over space and allows full access to it from below. When shading not needed, retracted mechanism stores blanket compactly. Developed for protecting sensitive Space Shuttle payloads from direct sunlight while cargo-bay doors open. Adapted to shading of greenhouses, swimming pools, and boats.

75 FR 13755 - Freeport LNG Development, L.P.; Application To Amend Blanket Authorization To Export Liquefied...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-23

... Amend Blanket Authorization To Export Liquefied Natural Gas AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, DOE. ACTION: Notice of Application to Amend Blanket Authorization. SUMMARY: The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the... Oil and Gas Global Security and Supply, Office of Fossil Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 3E-042, 1000...

Test Plans. Lightweight Durable TPS: Tasks 1,2,4,5, and 6

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenberg, H. S.; Tu, Tina

1994-01-01

The objective of this task is to develop the fluted core flexible blankets, also referred to as the Tailorable Advanced Blanket Insulation (TABI), to a technology readiness level (TRL) of 6. This task is one of the six tasks under TA 3, Lightweight Durable TPS study, of the Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) program. The purpose of this task is to develop a durable and low maintenance flexible TPS blanket material to be implemented on the SSTO vehicle.

High pressure stability of lithium metatitanate and metazirconate: Insight from experiments & ab-initio calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chitnis, Abhishek; Chakraborty, B.; Tripathi, B. M.; Tyagi, A. K.; Garg, Nandini

2018-02-01

Lithium metatitanate (LTO) and lithium metazirconate (LZO) are lithium rich ceramics which can be used as tritium breeder materials for thermonuclear reactors. In-situ x-ray diffraction and ab-initio studies at high pressure show that LTO has a higher bulk modulus than that of LZO. In fact these studies indicate that they are the least compressible of the known lithium rich ceramics like Li2O or Li4SiO4, which are potential candidates for blanket materials. These studies show that the TiO6 octahedra are responsible for the higher bulk modulus of LTO when compared to that of LZO. It has also been shown that the compressibility and distortion of the softer LiO6 octahedra can be controlled by altering the stacking sequence of the more rigid covalently bonded octahedra. This knowledge can be used by chemists to design new lithium based ceramics with higher bulk modulus. It was observed that LTO was stable upto 34 GPa. Ab initio DFT calculations helped to understand the anisotropy in compressibility of both LZO and LTO. This study also shows, that even though the empirical potentials developed by Vijaykumar et al. successfully determine the ambient pressure structure of lithium metatitanate, they cannot be used at non ambient conditions like high pressure [1].

Status of liquid metal fast breeder reactor fuel development in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katsuragawa, M.; Kashihara, H.; Akebi, M.

1993-09-01

The mixed-oxide fuel technology for a liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) in Japan is progressing toward commercial deployment of LMFBR. Based on accumulated experience in Joyo and Monju fuel development, efforts for large scale LMFBR fuel development are devoted to improved irradiation performance, reliability and economy. This paper summarizes accomplishments, current activities and future plans for LMFBR fuel development in Japan.

Exploding the myths about the fast breeder reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burns, S.

1979-01-01

This paper discusses the facts and figures about the effects of conservation policies, the benefits of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor demonstration plant, the feasibility of nuclear weapons manufacture from reactor-grade plutonium, diversion of plutonium from nuclear plants, radioactive waste disposal, and the toxicity of plutonium. The paper concludes that the U.S. is not proceeding with a high confidence strategy for breeder development because of a variety of false assumptions.

Flow Induced Vibration Program at Argonne National Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1984-01-01

The Argonne National Laboratory's Flow Induced Vibration Program, currently residing in the Laboratory's Components Technology Division is discussed. Throughout its existence, the overall objective of the program was to develop and apply new and/or improved methods of analysis and testing for the design evaluation of nuclear reactor plant components and heat exchange equipment from the standpoint of flow induced vibration. Historically, the majority of the program activities were funded by the US Atomic Energy Commission, the Energy Research and Development Administration, and the Department of Energy. Current DOE funding is from the Breeder Mechanical Component Development Division, Office of Breeder Technology Projects; Energy Conversion and Utilization Technology Program, Office of Energy Systems Research; and Division of Engineering, Mathematical and Geosciences, office of Basic Energy Sciences. Testing of Clinch River Breeder Reactor upper plenum components was funded by the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant Project Office. Work was also performed under contract with Foster Wheeler, General Electric, Duke Power Company, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Westinghouse.

A promising tritium breeding material: Nanostructured 2Li2TiO3-Li4SiO4 biphasic ceramic pebbles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dang, Chen; Yang, Mao; Gong, Yichao; Feng, Lan; Wang, Hailiang; Shi, Yanli; Shi, Qiwu; Qi, Jianqi; Lu, Tiecheng

2018-03-01

As an advanced tritium breeder material for the fusion reactor blanket of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), Li2TiO3-Li4SiO4 biphasic ceramic has attracted widely attention due to its merits. In this paper, the uniform precursor powders were prepared by hydrothermal method, and nanostructured 2Li2TiO3-Li4SiO4 biphasic ceramic pebbles were fabricated by an indirect wet method at the first time. In addition, the composition dependence (x/y) of their microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties were investigated. The results indicated that the crush load of biphasic ceramic pebbles was better than that of single phase ceramic pebbles under identical conditions. The 2Li2TiO3-Li4SiO4 ceramic pebbles have good morphology, small grain size (90 nm), satisfactory crush load (37.8 N) and relative density (81.8 %T.D.), which could be a promising breeding material in the future fusion reactor.

An overview of research activities on materials for nuclear applications at the INL Safety, Tritium and Applied Research facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calderoni, P.; Sharpe, J.; Shimada, M.; Denny, B.; Pawelko, B.; Schuetz, S.; Longhurst, G.; Hatano, Y.; Hara, M.; Oya, Y.; Otsuka, T.; Katayama, K.; Konishi, S.; Noborio, K.; Yamamoto, Y.

2011-10-01

The Safety, Tritium and Applied Research facility at the Idaho National Laboratory is a US Department of Energy National User Facility engaged in various aspects of materials research for nuclear applications related to fusion and advanced fission systems. Research activities are mainly focused on the interaction of tritium with materials, in particular plasma facing components, liquid breeders, high temperature coolants, fuel cladding, cooling and blanket structures and heat exchangers. Other activities include validation and verification experiments in support of the Fusion Safety Program, such as beryllium dust reactivity and dust transport in vacuum vessels, and support of Advanced Test Reactor irradiation experiments. This paper presents an overview of the programs engaged in the activities, which include the US-Japan TITAN collaboration, the US ITER program, the Next Generation Power Plant program and the tritium production program, and a presentation of ongoing experiments as well as a summary of recent results with emphasis on fusion relevant materials.

Design, Manufacture, and Experimental Serviceability Validation of ITER Blanket Components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leshukov, A. Yu.; Strebkov, Yu. S.; Sviridenko, M. N.; Safronov, V. M.; Putrik, A. B.

2017-12-01

In 2014, the Russian Federation and the ITER International Organization signed two Procurement Arrangements (PAs) for ITER blanket components: 1.6.P1ARF.01 "Blanket First Wall" of February 14, 2014, and 1.6.P3.RF.01 "Blanket Module Connections" of December 19, 2014. The first PA stipulates development, manufacture, testing, and delivery to the ITER site of 179 Enhanced Heat Flux (EHF) First Wall (FW) Panels intended for withstanding the heat flux from the plasma up to 4.7MW/m2. Two Russian institutions, NIIEFA (Efremov Institute) and NIKIET, are responsible for the implementation of this PA. NIIEFA manufactures plasma-facing components (PFCs) of the EHF FW panels and performs the final assembly and testing of the panels, and NIKIET manufactures FW beam structures, load-bearing structures of PFCs, and all elements of the panel attachment system. As for the second PA, NIKIET is the sole official supplier of flexible blanket supports, electrical insulation key pads (EIKPs), and blanket module/vacuum vessel electrical connectors. Joint activities of NIKIET and NIIEFA for implementing PA 1.6.P1ARF.01 are briefly described, and information on implementation of PA 1.6.P3.RF.01 is given. Results of the engineering design and research efforts in the scope of the above PAs in 2015-2016 are reported, and results of developing the technology for manufacturing ITER blanket components are presented.

Three-dimensional neutronics optimization of helium-cooled blanket for multi-functional experimental fusion-fission hybrid reactor (FDS-MFX)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jiang, J.; Yuan, B.; Jin, M.

2012-07-01

Three-dimensional neutronics optimization calculations were performed to analyse the parameters of Tritium Breeding Ratio (TBR) and maximum average Power Density (PDmax) in a helium-cooled multi-functional experimental fusion-fission hybrid reactor named FDS (Fusion-Driven hybrid System)-MFX (Multi-Functional experimental) blanket. Three-stage tests will be carried out successively, in which the tritium breeding blanket, uranium-fueled blanket and spent-fuel-fueled blanket will be utilized respectively. In this contribution, the most significant and main goal of the FDS-MFX blanket is to achieve the PDmax of about 100 MW/m3 with self-sustaining tritium (TBR {>=} 1.05) based on the second-stage test with uranium-fueled blanket to check and validate themore » demonstrator reactor blanket relevant technologies based on the viable fusion and fission technologies. Four different enriched uranium materials were taken into account to evaluate PDmax in subcritical blanket: (i) natural uranium, (ii) 3.2% enriched uranium, (iii) 19.75% enriched uranium, and (iv) 64.4% enriched uranium carbide. These calculations and analyses were performed using a home-developed code VisualBUS and Hybrid Evaluated Nuclear Data Library (HENDL). The results showed that the performance of the blanket loaded with 64.4% enriched uranium was the most attractive and it could be promising to effectively obtain tritium self-sufficiency (TBR-1.05) and a high maximum average power density ({approx}100 MW/m{sup 3}) when the blanket was loaded with the mass of {sup 235}U about 1 ton. (authors)« less

Stacbeam 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, L. R.; Vonroos, A.

1985-04-01

An investigation being conducted by Astro Aerospace Corporation (Astro) for Jet Propulsion Laboratory in which efficient structures for geosynchronous spacecraft solar arrays are being developed is discussed. Recent developments in solar blanket technology, including the introduction of ultrathin (50 micrometer) silicon solar cells with conversion efficiencies approaching 15 percent, have resulted in a significant increase in blanket specific power. System specific power depends not only on blanket mass but also on the masses of the support structure and deployment mechanism. These masses must clearly be reduced, not only to minimize launch weight, but also to increase array natural frequency. The solar array system natural frequency should be kept high in order to reduce the demands on the attitude control system. This goal is approached by decreasing system mass, by increasing structural stiffness, and by partitioning the blanket. As a result of this work, a highly efficient structure for deploying a solar array was developed.

A passively-safe fusion reactor blanket with helium coolant and steel structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crosswait, Kenneth Mitchell

1994-04-01

Helium is attractive for use as a fusion blanket coolant for a number of reasons. It is neutronically and chemically inert, nonmagnetic, and will not change phase during any off-normal or accident condition. A significant disadvantage of helium, however, is its low density and volumetric heat capacity. This disadvantage manifests itself most clearly during undercooling accident conditions such as a loss of coolant accident (LOCA) or a loss of flow accident (LOFA). This thesis describes a new helium-cooled tritium breeding blanket concept which performs significantly better during such accidents than current designs. The proposed blanket uses reduced-activation ferritic steel asmore » a structural material and is designed for neutron wall loads exceeding 4 MW/m{sup 2}. The proposed geometry is based on the nested-shell concept developed by Wong, but some novel features are used to reduce the severity of the first wall temperature excursion. These features include the following: (1) A ``beryllium-joint`` concept is introduced, which allows solid beryllium slabs to be used as a thermal conduction path from the first wall to the cooler portions of the blanket. The joint concept allows for significant swelling of the beryllium (10 percent or more) without developing large stresses in the blanket structure. (2) Natural circulation of the coolant in the water-cooled shield is used to maintain shield temperatures below 100 degrees C, thus maintaining a heat sink close to the blanket during the accident. This ensures the long-term passive safety of the blanket.« less

Application of the aqueous self-cooled blanket concept to fusion reactors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deutsch, L.; Steiner, D.; Embrechts, M.J.

1986-01-01

The development of a reliable, safe, and economically attractive tritium breeding blanket is an essential requirement in the path to commercial fusion power. The primary objective of the recently completed Blanket Comparison and Selection Study (BCSS) was to evaluate previously proposed concepts, and thereby identify a limited number of preferred options that would provide the focus for an R and D program. The water-cooled concepts in the BCSS scored relatively low. We consider it prudent that a promising water-cooled blanket concept be included in this program since nearly all power producing reactors currently rely on water technology. It is inmore » this context that we propose the novel water-cooled blanket concept described herein.« less

Food residue recycling by swine breeders in a developing economy: a case study in Da Nang, Viet Nam.

PubMed

Kato, Takaaki; Pham, Dung Thi Xuan; Hoang, Hai; Xue, Yonghai; Tran, Quang Van

2012-12-01

This study provides a detailed description of food residue collection by swine breeders in Da Nang, Viet Nam. In January 2011, the study surveyed 30 swine breeders in two villages with respect to locations, methods, prices, quantities, and prospects for food residue collection. The sampled swine breeders regularly visited 55 locations in central Da Nang to collect raw food residue. They then transferred the food residue to their piggeries, boiled it, and fed it to their swine. A regression analysis revealed that the total amount of food residue collected by a farm depends on the number of swine in the farm and the number of collections made per day. Swine breeders in Da Nang were estimated to collect 26.3 metric tons of organic waste per day, which amounted to 4.1% of domestic waste collected by the local government. Among the sampled swine breeders, 93% answered that they would continue using food residue for the next five years. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plant breeding and rural development in the United States.

Treesearch

KE Woeste; SB Blanche; KA Moldenhauer; CD Nelson

2010-01-01

Plant breeders contributed enormously to the agricultural and economic development of the United States. By improving the profitability of farming, plant breeders improved the economic condition of farmers and contributed to the growth and structure of rural communities. In the years since World War II, agriculture and the quality of rural life have been driven by...

Effect of the ratio of dietary n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid on broiler breeder performance, egg quality, and yolk fatty acid composition at different breeder ages.

PubMed

Koppenol, A; Delezie, E; Aerts, J; Willems, E; Wang, Y; Franssens, L; Everaert, N; Buyse, J

2014-03-01

When added to the feed of broiler breeder hens, dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (FA) can be incorporated into the yolk and therefore become available to the progeny during their early development. The mechanism involved in lipid metabolism and deposition in the egg may be influenced by breeder age. Before the effect of an elevated concentration of certain polyunsaturated FA on the embryo can be investigated, the effect at breeder level and egg quality must be further assessed. The aim of the present experiment was to evaluate the effects of dietary n-6/n-3 ratios and dietary eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3) ratios, provided to broiler breeder hens, in terms of their zoo technical performance, egg quality, and yolk FA composition. Starting at 6 wk of age, 640 Ross-308 broiler breeder hens were fed 1 of 4 different diets. The control diet was a basal diet, rich in n-6 FA. The 3 other diets were enriched in n-3 FA, formulated to obtain a different EPA/DHA ratio of 1/1 (EPA = DHA), 1/2 (DHA), or 2/1 (EPA). In fact, after analysis the EPA/DHA ratio was 0.8, 0.4, or 2.1, respectively. Dietary EPA and DHA addition did not affect the performance of the breeder hens, except for egg weight. Egg weight was lower (P < 0.001) for all n-3 treatments. Dietary EPA improved number of eggs laid in the first 2 wk of the production cycle (P = 0.029). The absolute and relative yolk weight of eggs laid by EPA = DHA fed hens was lowest (P = 0.004 and P = 0.025, respectively). The EPA and DHA concentrations in the yolk were highly dependent on dietary EPA and DHA concentrations with a regression coefficient equal to 0.89. It can be concluded that dietary EPA and DHA can be incorporated in the breeder egg yolk to become available for the developing embryo, without compromising the performance and egg quality of the flock.

Cotton regeneration in vitro

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

H. F. Sakhanokho and K. Rajasekaran Over the years, plant breeders have improved cotton via conventional breeding methods, but these methods are time-consuming. To complement classical breeding and, at times, reduce the time necessary for new cultivar development, breeders have turned to in vitro ...

Direct LiT Electrolysis in a Metallic Fusion Blanket

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Olson, Luke

2016-09-30

A process that simplifies the extraction of tritium from molten lithium-based breeding blankets was developed. The process is based on the direct electrolysis of lithium tritide using a ceramic Li ion conductor that replaces the molten salt extraction step. Extraction of tritium in the form of lithium tritide in the blankets/targets of fusion/fission reactors is critical in order to maintain low concentrations. This is needed to decrease the potential tritium permeation to the surroundings and large releases from unforeseen accident scenarios. Extraction is complicated due to required low tritium concentration limits and because of the high affinity of tritium formore » the blanket. This work identified, developed and tested the use of ceramic lithium ion conductors capable of recovering hydrogen and deuterium through an electrolysis step at high temperatures.« less

Direct Lit Electrolysis In A Metallic Lithium Fusion Blanket

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Colon-Mercado, H.; Babineau, D.; Elvington, M.

2015-10-13

A process that simplifies the extraction of tritium from molten lithium based breeding blankets was developed.  The process is based on the direct electrolysis of lithium tritide using a ceramic Li ion conductor that replaces the molten salt extraction step. Extraction of tritium in the form of lithium tritide in the blankets/targets of fission/fusion reactors is critical in order to maintained low concentrations.  This is needed to decrease the potential tritium permeation to the surroundings and large releases from unforeseen accident scenarios. Because of the high affinity of tritium for the blanket, extraction is complicated at the required low levels. This workmore » identified, developed and tested the use of ceramic lithium ion conductors capable of recovering the hydrogen and deuterium thru an electrolysis step at high temperatures. « less

Lightweight IMM PV Flexible Blanket Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spence, Brian

2015-01-01

Deployable Space Systems (DSS) has developed an inverted metamorphic multijunction (IMM) photovoltaic (PV) integrated modular blanket assembly (IMBA) that can be rolled or z-folded. This IMM PV IMBA technology enables a revolutionary flexible PV blanket assembly that provides high specific power, exceptional stowed packaging efficiency, and high-voltage operation capability. DSS's technology also accommodates standard third-generation triple junction (ZTJ) PV device technologies to provide significantly improved performance over the current state of the art. This SBIR project demonstrated prototype, flight-like IMM PV IMBA panel assemblies specifically developed, designed, and optimized for NASA's high-voltage solar array missions.

Evaluation of a formula that categorizes female gray wolf breeding status by nipple size

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barber-Meyer, Shannon M.; Mech, L. David

2015-01-01

The proportion by age class of wild Canis lupus (Gray Wolf) females that reproduce in any given year remains unclear; thus, we evaluated the applicability to our long-term (1972–2013) data set of the Mech et al. (1993) formula that categorizes female Gray Wolf breeding status by nipple size and time of year. We used the formula to classify Gray Wolves from 68 capture events into 4 categories (yearling, adult non-breeder, former breeder, current breeder). To address issues with small sample size and variance, we created an ambiguity index to allow some Gray Wolves to be classed into 2 categories. We classified 20 nipple measurements ambiguously: 16 current or former breeder, 3 former or adult non-breeder, and 1 yearling or adult non-breeder. The formula unambiguously classified 48 (71%) of the nipple measurements; based on supplemental field evidence, at least 5 (10%) of these were incorrect. When used in conjunction with an ambiguity index we developed and with corrections made for classifications involving very large nipples, and supplemented with available field evidence, the Mech et al. (1993) formula provided reasonably reliable classification of breeding status in wild female Gray Wolves.

Comparison of early socialization practices used for litters of small-scale registered dog breeders and nonregistered dog breeders.

PubMed

Korbelik, Juraj; Rand, Jacquie S; Morton, John M

2011-10-15

OBJECTIVE-To compare early socialization practices between litters of breeders registered with the Canine Control Council (CCC) and litters of nonregistered breeders advertising puppies for sale in a local newspaper. DESIGN-Retrospective cohort study. Animals-80 litters of purebred and mixed-breed dogs from registered (n = 40) and non-registered (40) breeders. PROCEDURES-Registered breeders were randomly selected from the CCC website, and nonregistered breeders were randomly selected from a weekly advertising newspaper. The litter sold most recently by each breeder was then enrolled in the study. Information pertaining to socialization practices for each litter was obtained through a questionnaire administered over the telephone. RESULTS-Registered breeders generally had more breeding bitches and had more litters than did nonregistered breeders. Litters of registered breeders were more likely to have been socialized with adult dogs, people of different appearances, and various environmental stimuli, compared with litters of nonregistered breeders. Litters from registered breeders were also much less likely to have been the result of an unplanned pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE-Among those breeders represented, litters of registered breeders received more socialization experience, compared with litters of nonregistered breeders. People purchasing puppies from nonregistered breeders should focus on socializing their puppies between the time of purchase and 14 weeks of age. Additional research is required to determine whether puppies from nonregistered breeders are at increased risk of behavioral problems and are therefore more likely to be relinquished to animal shelters or euthanized, relative to puppies from registered breeders.

A Poor Buy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cochran, Thomas B.; And Others

1975-01-01

Both economic and environmental factors are affecting the further development of liquid metal fast breeder reactors. Rising costs of plant production and the possible environmental effects of the breeder system have caused the U.S. to consider carefully this method of energy production. Alternative energy sources are being studied also. (MA)

Increase in transmission loss of a double panel system by addition of mass inclusions to a poro-elastic layer: A comparison between theory and experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Idrisi, Kamal; Johnson, Marty E.; Toso, Alessandro; Carneal, James P.

2009-06-01

This paper is concerned with the modeling and optimization of heterogeneous (HG) blankets, which are used in this investigation to reduce the sound transmission through double panel systems. HG blankets consist of poro-elastic media with small embedded masses, which act similarly to a distributed mass-spring-damper-system. HG blankets have shown significant potential to reduce low frequency radiated sound from structures, where traditional poro-elastic materials have little effect. A mathematical model of a double panel system with an acoustic cavity and HG blanket was developed using impedance and mobility methods. The predicted responses of the source and the receiving panel due to a point force are validated with experimental measurements. The presented results indicate that proper tuning of the HG blankets can result in broadband noise reduction below 500 Hz with less than 10% added mass.

Proposed Strategy for Selection Against Recessive Genetic Defects Through a Combination of Inbreeding and DNA Markers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recessive genetic defects are currently on the minds of many cattle breeders. The relatively rapid development of diagnostic DNA tests for recessive defects appears to be a major recent technological advancement. However, the attitude of breeders and breed associations toward recessive defects seems...

Design of the helium cooled lithium lead breeding blanket in CEA: from TBM to DEMO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aiello, G.; Aubert, J.; Forest, L.; Jaboulay, J.-C.; Li Puma, A.; Boccaccini, L. V.

2017-04-01

The helium cooled lithium lead (HCLL) blanket concept was originally developed in CEA at the beginning of 2000: it is one of the two European blanket concepts to be tested in ITER in the form of a test blanket module (TBM) and one of the four blanket concepts currently being considered for the DEMOnstration reactor that will follow ITER. The TBM is a highly optimized component for the ITER environment that will provide crucial information for the development of the DEMO blanket, but its design needs to be adapted to the DEMO reactor. With respect to the TBM design, reduction of the steel content in the breeding zone (BZ) is sought in order to maximize tritium breeding reactions. Different options are being studied, with the potential of reaching tritium breeding ratio (TBR) values up to 1.21. At the same time, the design of the back supporting structure (BSS), which is a DEMO specific component that has to support the blanket modules inside the vacuum vessel (VV), is ongoing with the aim of maximizing the shielding power and minimizing pumping power. This implies a re-engineering of the modules’ attachment system. Design changes however, will have an impact on the manufacturing and assembly sequences that are being developed for the HCLL-TBM. Due to the differences in joint configurations, thicknesses to be welded, heat dissipation and the various technical constraints related to the accessibility of the welding tools and implementation of non-destructive examination (NDE), the manufacturing procedure should be adapted and optimized for DEMO design. Laser welding instead of TIG could be an option to reduce distortions. The time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) technique is being investigated for NDE. Finally, essential information expected from the HCLL-TBM program that will be needed to finalize the DEMO design is discussed.

Water-Repellency Probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosen, Charles D.; Mitchell, Shirley M.; Jolly, Stanley R.; Jackson, Richard G.; Fleming, Scott T.; Roberts, William J.; Bell, Daniel R., III

1996-01-01

Instrument yielding presence or absence of waterproofing agent at any given depth in blanket developed. In original application, blankets in question part of space shuttle thermal protection system. Instrument utilized to determine extent of waterproofing "burnout" due to re-entry heating and adverse environment exposure.

Environmental Enrichment for Broiler Breeders: An Undeveloped Field.

PubMed

Riber, Anja B; de Jong, Ingrid C; van de Weerd, Heleen A; Steenfeldt, Sanna

2017-01-01

Welfare problems, such as hunger, frustration, aggression, and abnormal sexual behavior, are commonly found in broiler breeder production. To prevent or reduce these welfare problems, it has been suggested to provide stimulating enriched environments. We review the effect of the different types of environmental enrichment for broiler breeders, which have been described in the scientific literature, on behavior and welfare. Environmental enrichment is defined as an improvement of the environment of captive animals, which increases the behavioral opportunities of the animal and leads to improvements in biological function. This definition has been broadened to include practical and economic aspects as any enrichment strategy that adversely affects the health of animals (e.g., environmental hygiene), or that has too many economic or practical constraints will never be implemented on commercial farms and thus never benefit animals. Environmental enrichment for broiler breeders often has the purpose of satisfying the behavioral motivations for feeding and foraging, resting, and/or encouraging normal sexual behavior. Potentially successful enrichments for broiler breeders are elevated resting places, cover panels, and substrate (for broiler breeders housed in cage systems). However, most of the ideas for environmental enrichment for broiler breeders need to be further developed and studied with respect to the use, the effect on behavior and welfare, and the interaction with genotype and production system. In addition, information on practical use and the economics of the production system is often lacking although it is important for application in practice.

[Knowledge and practices concerning taeniasis-cysticercosis in Colombian pig-breeders].

PubMed

Agudelo-Flórez, Piedad; Restrepo, Berta N; Palacio, Luis G

2009-01-01

Describing knowledge and practices regarding taeniasis-cysticercosis and cysticercosis prevalence in the village of Andagoya, Colombia. The study design was qualitative and quantitative. The study population consisted of pig breeders and their families, local groups and pigs. Study participants had partial knowledge of the taeniasis-cysticercosis complex. They considered taeniasis to be an illness resulting from faecal transmission and not caused by becoming infected with cysticercosis after consuming pork. Pig breeding is not carried out in confined conditions and, although breeders know the right measures for controlling some parasitic illnesses, these practices are not observed. There was 8.7% presence of T. solium antibodies in pig breeders and their relatives and 20.9% in the pigs. An educational programme aimed at raising the population's awareness of the taeniasis-cysticercosis complex cycle should be developed; this will facilitate control measures being applied.

What are the Effects of Protest Fear?

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-17

Acquisition Professional Development Program AT&L Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics BPA blanket purchase agreement CONUS continental United States...Blanket Purchase Agreement [ BPA ]) in order to avoid a bid protest. The data shows that 88 respondents had done so throughout their career with 4,139

Fission gas release restrictor for breached fuel rod

DOEpatents

Kadambi, N. Prasad; Tilbrook, Roger W.; Spencer, Daniel R.; Schwallie, Ambrose L.

1986-01-01

In the event of a breach in the cladding of a rod in an operating liquid metal fast breeder reactor, the rapid release of high-pressure gas from the fission gas plenum may result in a gas blanketing of the breached rod and rods adjacent thereto which impairs the heat transfer to the liquid metal coolant. In order to control the release rate of fission gas in the event of a breached rod, the substantial portion of the conventional fission gas plenum is formed as a gas bottle means which includes a gas pervious means in a small portion thereof. During normal reactor operation, as the fission gas pressure gradually increases, the gas pressure interiorly of and exteriorly of the gas bottle means equalizes. In the event of a breach in the cladding, the gas pervious means in the gas bottle means constitutes a sufficient restriction to the rapid flow of gas therethrough that under maximum design pressure differential conditions, the fission gas flow through the breach will not significantly reduce the heat transfer from the affected rod and adjacent rods to the liquid metal heat transfer fluid flowing therebetween.

Sperm production and testicular development of broiler breeder males reared on shortened growth cycles

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Feed restriction is an important tool used in the rearing of broiler breeders to control growth and maintain body weight. Feed restriction during the growing phase typically provides 60-80% less than what birds would consume if provided feed ad libitum, resulting in a perceived animal welfare issu...

Socially regulated reproductive development: analysis of GnRH-1 and kisspeptin neuronal systems in cooperatively breeding naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber).

PubMed

Zhou, Shuzhi; Holmes, Melissa M; Forger, Nancy G; Goldman, Bruce D; Lovern, Matthew B; Caraty, Alain; Kalló, Imre; Faulkes, Christopher G; Coen, Clive W

2013-09-01

In naked mole-rat (NMR) colonies, breeding is monopolized by the queen and her consorts. Subordinates experience gonadal development if separated from the queen. To elucidate the neuroendocrine factors underlying reproductive suppression/development in NMRs, we quantified plasma gonadal steroids and GnRH-1- and kisspeptin-immunoreactive (ir) neurons in subordinate adults and in those allowed to develop into breeders, with or without subsequent gonadectomy. In males and females, respectively, plasma testosterone and progesterone are higher in breeders than in subordinates. No such distinction occurs for plasma estradiol; its presence after gonadectomy and its positive correlation with adrenal estradiol suggest an adrenal source. Numbers of GnRH-1-ir cell bodies do not differ between gonad-intact breeders and subordinates within or between the sexes. As in phylogenetically related guinea pigs, kisspeptin-ir processes pervade the internal and external zones of the median eminence. Their distribution is consistent with actions on GnRH-1 neurons at perikaryal and/or terminal levels. In previously investigated species, numbers of kisspeptin-ir cell bodies vary from substantial to negligible according to sex and/or reproductive state. NMRs are exceptional: irrespective of sex, reproductive state, or presence of gonads, substantial numbers of kisspeptin-ir cell bodies are detected in the rostral periventricular region of the third ventricle (RP3V) and in the anterior periventricular (PVa), arcuate, and dorsomedial hypothalamic nuclei. Nevertheless, the greater number in the RP3V/PVa of female breeders compared with female subordinates or male breeders suggests that emergence from a hypogonadotrophic state in females may involve kisspeptin-related mechanisms similar to those underlying puberty or seasonal breeding in other species. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Tritium well depth, tritium well time and sponge mechanism for reducing tritium retention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, B. Q.; Li, Z. X.; Li, C. Y.; Feng, K. M.

2011-07-01

New simulation results are predicted in a fusion reactor operation process. They are somewhat similar to, but quite different from, the xenon poisoning effects resulting from fission-produced iodine during the restart-up process of a fission reactor. We obtained completely new results of tritium well depth and tritium well time in magnetic confinement fusion energy research area. This study is carried out to investigate the following: what will be the least amount of tritium storage required to start up a fusion reactor and how long the fusion reactor needs to be operated for achieving the tritium break-even during the initial start-up phase due to the finite tritium-breeding time, which is dependent on the tritium breeder, specific structure of the breeding zone, layout of the coolant flow pipes, tritium recovery scheme and applied extraction process, the tritium retention of plasma facing component (PFC) and other reactor components, unrecoverable tritium fraction in the breeder, leakage to the inertial gas container and the natural radioactive decay time constant. We describe these new issues and answer these problems by setting up and solving a set of equations, which are described by a dynamic subsystem model of tritium inventory evolution in a fusion experimental breeder (FEB). Reasonable results are obtained using our simulation model. It is found that the tritium well depth is about 0.319 kg and the tritium well time is approximately 235 full power operation days for the reference case of the designed FEB configuration, and it is also found that after one-year operation the tritium storage reaches 0.767 kg, which is more than the least amount of tritium storage required to start up another FEB-like fusion reactor. The results show that the tritium retention in the PFC is equivalent to 11.9% of tritium well depth that is fairly consistent with the result of 10-20% deduced from the integrated particle balance of European tokamaks. Based on our experimental and theoretical studies, some new mechanisms are proposed for reducing the tritium retention in PFC and structure materials of tritium-breeding blanket. In this paper, a qualitative analysis of the 'sponge effect' is carried out. The 'sponge effect' may help us to reduce tritium retention by ~20% in the PFC.

Tritium processing for the European test blanket systems: current status of the design and development strategy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ricapito, I.; Calderoni, P.; Poitevin, Y.

2015-03-15

Tritium processing technologies of the two European Test Blanket Systems (TBS), HCLL (Helium Cooled Lithium Lead) and HCPB (Helium Cooled Pebble Bed), play an essential role in meeting the main objectives of the TBS experimental campaign in ITER. The compliancy with the ITER interface requirements, in terms of space availability, service fluids, limits on tritium release, constraints on maintenance, is driving the design of the TBS tritium processing systems. Other requirements come from the characteristics of the relevant test blanket module and the scientific programme that has to be developed and implemented. This paper identifies the main requirements for themore » design of the TBS tritium systems and equipment and, at the same time, provides an updated overview on the current design status, mainly focusing onto the tritium extractor from Pb-16Li and TBS tritium accountancy. Considerations are also given on the possible extrapolation to DEMO breeding blanket. (authors)« less

METALLURGY DIVISION QUARTERLY REPORT FOR JULY, AUGUST, AND SEPTEMBER 1957

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1958-10-01

Advanced Water Reactor Program. Three firings were made of initial closed-porosity fuel pellet bodies. Each firing coatained pellets of the composition 90 wt.% ThO/sub 2/-10 wt.%fl U0/sub 2/ with various additives and firing variables. Fast Power Breeder Reactor Program. To determine the potential usefulness of a Zr-5 wt. % Pu alloy, the fabricability of the alloy was tested. The manufacture of rod stock from which fuel and blanket elements for the Mark III loading of the EBR-1 were prcduced has been completed. The effect of irradiation on extruded and heat-treated U-2 wt.% Zr alloy for the EBR- 1 is reported.more » Fabrication procedures for making graphite-U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ test specimens for the TREAT Reactor were investigated. Advanced Engineering and Development. Ultrasonic bond tests were conducted on 590 EBR-1 Mark III blanket fuel elemeats. The blanket rods and part of the fuel rcds for the EBR-1 Mark III loading are being checked for cladding thickness by an eddy current system. Investigations of corrosionresistant Zr-Nb alloy were coatinued. Corrosion of MR alloys is being studied Ln support of the Mighty Mouse reactor program. Dynamic corrosion tests were performed on aluminum alloys, and results are included. Prcduction, Treatment, and Properties of Materials. The progress of the program of preparing highpurity Pu by fused salt electrolysis is summarized. Velocities of ultrasonic waves propagated in directions suitable for determining the room- temperature elastic moduli C/sub 12/, C/sub 13/, and C/sub 23/ of alpha U were determined. investigation of recrystallization in heavily coldrolled alpha- uranium sheet without a texture change was essentially concluded during this quarter. Selfdiffasion runs in polycrystalline uranium in the gamma phase, using the sputtering technique, have yielded a tentative value for the diffusion coefficient between 10/sup -8/ and 10/sup -7/ cm/sup 2/second. The preparation of high-purity U-Pan alloys is reponted. The data for the alpha-tobeta transformation temperatures in high-purity U and U-C alloys were confirmed by experiments on new specimens. Microstructure, density, and thermal arrest data were obtained for several injection cast, nominal U-5 wt.%fl fissium and U-8 wt.%fl fissium alloys. Phase diagrams are preseated for U-Mo and U-Ru alloys. Alloy Theory and The Nature of Solids. Four new isomorphs of Ti/sub 2/Ni have been discovered. Effects of Irradiation on Materials. The experimental and analytical work on the radial distribution of thermal neutrons within cylindrically shaped fuel specimens during irradiation was completed. (For preceding period see ANL-5790.) (W.L.H.)« less

Comparison of two passive warming devices for prevention of perioperative hypothermia in dogs.

PubMed

Potter, J; Murrell, J; MacFarlane, P

2015-09-01

To compare effects of two passive warming methods combined with a resistive heating mat on perioperative hypothermia in dogs. Fifty-two dogs were enrolled and randomly allocated to receive a reflective blanket (Blizzard Blanket) or a fabric blanket (VetBed). In addition, in the operating room all dogs were placed onto a table with a resistive heating mat covered with a fabric blanket. Rectal temperature measurements were taken at defined points. Statistical analysis was performed comparing all Blizzard Blanket-treated to all VetBed-treated dogs, and VetBed versus Blizzard Blanket dogs within spay and castrate groups, spay versus castrate groups and within groups less than 10 kg or more than 10 kg bodyweight. Data from 39 dogs were used for analysis. All dogs showed a reduction in perioperative rectal temperature. There were no detected statistical differences between treatments or between the different groups. This study supports previous data on prevalence of hypothermia during surgery. The combination of active and passive warming methods used in this study prevented the development of severe hypothermia, but there were no differences between treatment groups. © 2015 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

Advanced Development Waste Processing Unit for Combat Vehicles. Phase 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-29

Johns Manville Manufacturers # : 5346474 Type: Cera Blanket Size: 6 lb., I" thick Amount Used: 24" x 48" total TIME RPM TI O T 2 F T ,F T 4, Tbient F 1200...WPUBMO01 DATA SHEET DSO01-4 Date:NOV 2 5 186 i~ L , Candidate Insulation: Manufacturer: Johns Manville Manufacturer’s # : 5346474. Type: Cera Blanket Size...SHEET DS001-5 Date: EC 0 3 186 Candidate Insulation: Manufacturer: Johns Manville Manufacturerls # : 5346474 Type: Cera Blanket (F Size: 6 lb., 1

Divergence of developmental trajectories is triggered interactively by early social and ecological experience in a cooperative breeder

PubMed Central

Bohn, Lena; Oberhummer, Evelyne

2017-01-01

Cooperative breeders feature the highest level of social complexity among vertebrates. Environmental constraints foster the evolution of this form of social organization, selecting for both well-developed social and ecological competences. Cooperative breeders pursue one of two alternative social trajectories: delaying reproduction to care for the offspring of dominant breeders or dispersing early to breed independently. It is yet unclear which ecological and social triggers determine the choice between these alternatives and whether diverging developmental trajectories exist in cooperative vertebrates predisposing them to dispersal or philopatry. Here we experimentally reared juveniles of cooperatively breeding cichlid fish by varying the social environment and simulated predation threat in a two-by-two factorial long-term experiment. First, we show that individuals develop specialized behavioral competences, originating already in the early postnatal phase. Second, these specializations predisposed individuals to pursue different developmental trajectories and either to disperse early or to extend philopatry in adulthood. Thus, our results contrast with the proposition that social specializations in early ontogeny should be restricted to eusocial species. Importantly, social and ecological triggers were both required for the generation of divergent life histories. Our results thus confirm recent predictions from theoretical models that organisms should combine relevant information from different environmental cues to develop integrated phenotypes. PMID:29078289

Multipurpose insulation system for a radioisotope fueled Mini-Brayton Heat Source Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aller, P.; Saylor, W.; Schmidt, G.; Wein, D.

1976-01-01

The Mini-Brayton Heat Source Assembly (HSA) consists of a radioisotope fueled heat source, a heat exchanger, a multifoil thermal insulation blanket, and a hermetically sealed housing. The thermal insulation blanket is a multilayer wrap of thin metal foil separated by a sparsely coated oxide. The objectives of the insulation blanket are related to the effective insulation of the HSA during operation, the transfer of the full thermal inventory to the housing when the primary coolant is not flowing, and the transfer of the full thermal inventory to the housing in the event of a flow stoppage of the primary coolant. A description is given of the approaches which have been developed to make it possible for the insulation blanket to meet these requirements.

Comfort for Sportsmen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

MPI Outdoor Safety Products developed aluminized mylar to make Echo Satellites more reflective, to insulate cryogenic fluids, and for space suit insulation. This technology has spun off to a variety of consumer products. Sportsman's blankets and jackets, ski parkas, sleeping bags, and even life-raft canopies are among them. Sportsman's blanket weighing 12 ounces can be used equally well to keep heat away or keep available heat in. Emergency rescue blanket has heat retention qualities similar to those of Sportsman's blanket. Strong enough to be used as a litter, yet folds up so small you can carry it in your shirt pocket. 10 ounce reversible jacket absorbs warmth from sun. A silver colored side next to your body retains a large portion of body heat. In warm weather you wear silver side out to reflect sun's rays.

An overview on tritium permeation barrier development for WCLL blanket concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aiello, A.; Ciampichetti, A.; Benamati, G.

2004-08-01

The reduction of tritium permeation through blanket structural materials and cooling tubes has to be carefully evaluated to minimise radiological hazards. A strong effort has been made in the past to select the best technological solution for the realisation of tritium permeation barriers (TPB) on complex structures not directly accessible after the completion of the manufacturing process. The best solution was identified in aluminium rich coatings, which form Al 2O 3 at their surface. Two technologies were selected as reference for the realisation of coating in the WCLL blanket concept: the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process developed on laboratory scale by CEA, and the hot dipping (HD) process developed by FZK. The results obtained during three years of tests on CVD and HD coated specimens in gas and liquid metal phase are summarised and discussed.

Development of variable-width ribbon heating elements for liquid-metal and gas-cooled fast breeder reactor fuel-pin simulators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCulloch, R.W.; Post, D.W.; Lovell, R.T.

1981-04-01

Variable-width ribbon heating elements that provide a chopped-cosine variable heat flux profile have been fabricated for fuel pin simulators used in test loops by the Breeder Reactor Program Thermal-Hydraulic Out-of-Reactor Safety test facility and the Gas-Cooled Fast Breeder Reactor-Core Flow Test Loop. Thermal, mechanical, and electrical design considerations are used to derive an analytical expression that precisely describes ribbon contour in terms of the major fabrication parameters. These parameters are used to generate numerical control tapes that control ribbon cutting and winding machines. Infrared scanning techniques are developed to determine the optimum transient thermal profile of the coils and relatemore » this profile to that generated by the coils in completed fuel pin simulators.« less

Nuclear Engineering Computer Modules, Thermal-Hydraulics, TH-2: Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reihman, Thomas C.

This learning module is concerned with the temperature field, the heat transfer rates, and the coolant pressure drop in typical liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) fuel assemblies. As in all of the modules of this series, emphasis is placed on developing the theory and demonstrating the use with a simplified model. The heart of the module is…

MHD work related to a self-cooled Pb-17Li blanket with poloidal-radial-toroidal ducts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reimann, J.; Barleon, L.; Buehler, L.

1994-12-31

For self cooled liquid metal blankets MHD pressure drop and velocity distributions are considered as critical issues. This paper summarizes MHD work performed for a DEMO-relevant Pb-17Li blanket which uses essential characteristics of a previous ANL design: The coolant flows downwards in the rear poloidal ducts, turns by 180{degrees} at the blanket bottom and is distributed from the ascending poloidal ducts into short radial channels which feed the toroidal First Wall coolant ducts (aligned with the main magnetic field direction). The flow through the subsequent radial channels is collected again in poloidal channels and the coolant leaves the blanket segmentmore » at the top. The blanket design is based on the use of flow channel inserts (FCIs) (which means electrically thin conducting walls for MHD) for all ducts except for the toroidal FW coolant channels. MHD related issues were defined and estimations of corresponding pressure drops were performed. Previous experimental work included a proof of principle of FCIs and a detailed experiment with a single {open_quotes}poloidal{sm_bullet}toroidal{sm_bullet}poloidal{close_quotes} duct (cooperation with ANL). In parallel, a numerical code based on the Core Flow Approximation (CFA) was developed to predict pressure drop and velocity distributions for arbitrary single duct geometries.« less

A torso model comparison of temperature preservation devices for use in the prehospital environment.

PubMed

Zasa, Michele; Flowers, Neil; Zideman, David; Hodgetts, Timothy J; Harris, Tim

2016-06-01

Hypothermia is an independent predictor of increased morbidity and mortality in patients with trauma. Several strategies and products have been developed to minimise patients' heat loss in the prehospital arena, but there is little evidence to inform the clinician concerning their effectiveness. We used a human torso model consisting of two 5.5-litre fluid bags to simultaneously compare four passive (space blanket, bubble wrap, Blizzard blanket, ambulance blanket) and one active (Ready-Heat II blanket) temperature preservation products. A torso model without any temperature preservation device provided a control. For each test, the torso models were warmed to 37°C and left outdoors. Core temperatures were recorded every 10 min for 1 h in total; tests were repeated 10 times. A significant difference in temperature was detected among groups at 30 and 60 min (F (1.29, 10.30)=103.58, p<0.001 and F (1.64, 14.78)=163.28, p<0.001, respectively). Mean temperature reductions (95% CI) after 1 h of environmental exposure were the following: 11.6 (10.3 to 12.9) °C in control group, 4.5 (3.9 to 5.1) °C in space blanket group, 3.6 (3 to 4.3) °C in bubble-wrap group, 2.1 (1.7 to 2.5) °C in Blizzard blanket group, 6.1 (5.8 to 6.5) °C in ambulance blanket group and 1.1 (0.7 to 1.6) °C in Ready-Heat II blanket group. In this study, using a torso model based on two 5 L dialysate bags we found the Ready-Heat II heating blanket and Blizzard blanket were associated with lower rates of heat loss after 60 min environmental exposure than the other devices tested. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Fusion neutron source blanket: requirements for calculation accuracy and benchmark experiment precision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhirkin, A. V.; Alekseev, P. N.; Batyaev, V. F.; Gurevich, M. I.; Dudnikov, A. A.; Kuteev, B. V.; Pavlov, K. V.; Titarenko, Yu. E.; Titarenko, A. Yu.

2017-06-01

In this report the calculation accuracy requirements of the main parameters of the fusion neutron source, and the thermonuclear blankets with a DT fusion power of more than 10 MW, are formulated. To conduct the benchmark experiments the technical documentation and calculation models were developed for two blanket micro-models: the molten salt and the heavy water solid-state blankets. The calculations of the neutron spectra, and 37 dosimetric reaction rates that are widely used for the registration of thermal, resonance and threshold (0.25-13.45 MeV) neutrons, were performed for each blanket micro-model. The MCNP code and the neutron data library ENDF/B-VII were used for the calculations. All the calculations were performed for two kinds of neutron source: source I is the fusion source, source II is the source of neutrons generated by the 7Li target irradiated by protons with energy 24.6 MeV. The spectral indexes ratios were calculated to describe the spectrum variations from different neutron sources. The obtained results demonstrate the advantage of using the fusion neutron source in future experiments.

Alternative nuclear technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert, E.

1981-10-01

The lead times required to develop a select group of nuclear fission reactor types and fuel cycles to the point of readiness for full commercialization are compared. Along with lead times, fuel material requirements and comparative costs of producing electric power were estimated. A conservative approach and consistent criteria for all systems were used in estimates of the steps required and the times involved in developing each technology. The impact of the inevitable exhaustion of the low- or reasonable-cost uranium reserves in the United States on the desirability of completing the breeder reactor program, with its favorable long-term result on fission fuel supplies, is discussed. The long times projected to bring the most advanced alternative converter reactor technologies the heavy water reactor and the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor into commercial deployment when compared to the time projected to bring the breeder reactor into equivalent status suggest that the country's best choice is to develop the breeder. The perceived diversion-proliferation problems with the uranium plutonium fuel cycle have workable solutions that can be developed which will enable the use of those materials at substantially reduced levels of diversion risk.

Selection of Breeding Stock among Australian Purebred Dog Breeders, with Particular Emphasis on the Dam

PubMed Central

Czerwinski, Veronika; McArthur, Michelle; Smith, Bradley; Hynd, Philip; Hazel, Susan

2016-01-01

Simple Summary One of the most important factors influencing the health and welfare of puppies is the decision made by the breeder on which dam and sire they will breed from. Unfortunately, our understanding of what dog breeders consider important when selecting their dogs, particularly the dam, is limited. In order to bridge this gap, we conducted an online survey of Australian purebred dog breeders. We identified four major factors that the breeder considered important in relation to the dam: Maternal Care; Offspring Potential; Dam Temperament; and Dam Genetics and Health. Overall, the priorities and practices of dog breeders surveyed were variable across breeds. Importantly, it seemed that not all breeders understood the importance of maternal care behaviour, despite the significant role it may play on future puppy behaviour. Abstract Every year, thousands of purebred domestic dogs are bred by registered dog breeders. Yet, little is known about the rearing environment of these dogs, or the attitudes and priorities surrounding breeding practices of these dog breeders. The objective of this study was to explore some of the factors that dog breeders consider important for stock selection, with a particular emphasis on issues relating to the dam. Two-hundred and seventy-four Australian purebred dog breeders, covering 91 breeds across all Australian National Kennel Club breed groups, completed an online survey relating to breeding practices. Most breeders surveyed (76%) reported specialising in one breed of dog, the median number of dogs and bitches per breeder was two and three respectively, and most breeders bred two litters or less a year. We identified four components, relating to the dam, that were considered important to breeders. These were defined as Maternal Care, Offspring Potential, Dam Temperament, and Dam Genetics and Health. Overall, differences were observed in attitudes and beliefs across these components, showing that there is variation according to breed/breed groups. In particular, the importance of Maternal Care varied according to dog breed group. Breeders of brachycephalic breeds tended to differ the most in relation to Offspring Potential and Dam Genetics and Health. The number of breeding dogs/bitches influenced breeding priority, especially in relation to Dam Temperament, however no effect was found relating to the number of puppies bred each year. Only 24% of breeders used their own sire for breeding. The finding that some breeders did not test for diseases relevant to their breed, such as hip dysplasia in Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds, provides important information on the need to educate some breeders, and also buyers of purebred puppies, that screening for significant diseases should occur. Further research into the selection of breeding dams and sires will inform future strategies to improve the health and behaviour of our best friend. PMID:27854338

Effects of breeder age and egg weight on morphological changes in the small intestine of chicks during the hatch window.

PubMed

Yalçin, S; Izzetoğlu, G T; Aktaş, A

2013-01-01

1. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of breeder age and egg weight on hatching performance and morphological changes in segments of the small intestine of broiler chicks during a 21 h hatch window. 2. Eggs from Ross broiler breeder flocks aged 29 (young) and 48 weeks (old) were classified as light (LE) or heavy (HE) and incubated at the same conditions. At 475 h of incubation, eggs were checked every 3 h to determine time of external pipping and hatching. The first 42 chicks to emerge from each group were weighed and chick length was measured and 14 chicks from each group were sampled to collect residual yolk and intestine segments. The rest of chicks were placed back in the incubator and chick weight and length were measured individually at 9, 15 and 21 h after chicks hatched. At the end of 21 h, 14 chicks from each group were sampled again and the same procedure was followed. 3. The HE chicks pipped and hatched later than LE, regardless of breeder age. From hatch to the end of the hatch window, chick weight, but not yolk-free chick weight, gradually reduced. Relative residual yolk weight of chicks from both egg weights was similar at hatch, however, yolk sac utilisation was higher for LE chicks during the 21 h post-hatch period. At hatch, jejunum and ileum villus development was very similar for HE and LE chicks but greater development was observed for villus area with an increase in the jejunum villus length, width and goblet cell numbers in HE chicks. 4. The longest jejunum villus and the widest duodenum and jejunum villus were obtained for HE chicks from old breeders indicating that HE chicks from old breeders would have a greater surface area for nutrient absorption.

76 FR 33746 - Freeport LNG Development, L.P.; Application for Blanket Authorization To Export Liquefied Natural...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-09

... Blanket Authorization To Export Liquefied Natural Gas AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, DOE. ACTION: Notice of application. SUMMARY: The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives... Regulatory Activities, Office of Fossil Energy, P.O. Box 44375, Washington, DC 20026-4375. Hand Delivery or...

Advanced Polymer For Multilayer Insulating Blankets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haghighat, R. Ross; Shepp, Allan

1996-01-01

Polymer resisting degradation by monatomic oxygen undergoing commercial development under trade name "Aorimide" ("atomic-oxygen-resistant imidazole"). Intended for use in thermal blankets for spacecraft in low orbit, useful on Earth in outdoor applications in which sunlight and ozone degrades other plastics. Also used, for example, to make threads and to make films coated with metals for reflectivity.

Fast Breeder Reactors in Sweden: Vision and Reality.

PubMed

Fjaestad, Maja

2015-01-01

The fast breeder is a type of nuclear reactor that aroused much attention in the 1950s and '60s. Its ability to produce more nuclear fuel than it consumes offered promises of cheap and reliable energy. Sweden had advanced plans for a nuclear breeder program, but canceled them in the middle of the 1970s with the rise of nuclear skepticism. The article investigates the nuclear breeder as a technological vision. The nuclear breeder reactor is an example of a technological future that did not meet its industrial expectations. But that does not change the fact that the breeder was an influential technology. Decisions about the contemporary reactors were taken with the idea that in a foreseeable future they would be replaced with the efficient breeder. The article argues that general themes in the history of the breeder reactor can deepen our understanding of the mechanisms behind technological change.

Magnetohydrodynamic Heat Transfer Research Related to the Design of Fusion Blankets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barleon, Leopold; Burr, Ulrich; Mack, Klaus Juergen

2001-03-15

Lithium or any lithium alloy like the lithium lead alloy Pb-17Li is an attractive breeder material used in blankets of fusion power reactors because it allows the breeding of tritium and, in the case of self-cooled blankets, the transfer of the heat generated within the liquid metal and the walls of the cooling ducts to an external heat exchanger. Nevertheless, this type of liquid-metal-cooled blanket, called a self-cooled blanket, requires specific design of the coolant ducts, because the interaction of the circulating fluid and the plasma-confining magnetic fields causes magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects, yielding completely different flow patterns compared to ordinarymore » hydrodynamics (OHD) and pressure drops significantly higher than there. In contrast to OHD, MHD flows depend strongly on the electrical properties of the wall. Also, MHD flows reveal anisotropic turbulence behavior and are quite sensitive to obstacles exposed to the fluid flow.A comprehensive study of the heat transfer characteristics of free and forced convective MHD flows at fusion-relevant conditions is conducted. The general ideas of the analytical and numerical models to describe MHD heat transfer phenomena in this parameter regime are discussed. The MHD laboratory being installed, the experimental program established, and the experiments on heat transfer of free and forced convective flow being conducted are described. The theoretical results are compared to the results of a series of experiments in forced and free convective MHD flows with different wall properties, such as electrically insulating as well as electric conducting ducts. Based on this knowledge, methods to improve the heat transfer by means of electromagnetic/mechanic turbulence promoters (TPs) or sophisticated, arranged electrically conducting walls are discussed, experimental results are shown, and a cost-benefit analysis related to these methods is performed. Nevertheless, a few experimental results obtained should be highlighted:1. The heat flux removable in rectangular electrically conducting ducts at walls parallel to the magnetic field is by a factor of 2 higher than in the slug flow model previously used in design calculations. Conditions for which this heat transfer enhancement is attainable are presented. The measured dimensionless pressure gradient coincides with the theoretical one and is constant throughout the whole Reynolds number regime investigated (Re = 10{sup 3} {yields} 10{sup 5}), although the flow turns from laminar to turbulent. The use of electromagnetic TPs close to the heated wall leads to nonmeasurable increase of the heat transfer in the same Re regime as long as they do not lead to an interaction with the wall adjacent boundary layers.2. Mechanical TPs used in an electrically insulated rectangular duct improved the heat transfer up to seven times compared to slug flow, but the pressure drop can increase also up to 300%. In a cost-benefit analysis, the advantageous parameter regime for applying this method is determined.3. Experiments performed in a flat box both in a vertical and a horizontal arrangement within a horizontal magnetic field show the expected increase of damping of the fluid motion with increasing Hartmann number M. At high M, buoyant convection will be completely suppressed in the horizontal case. In the vertical setup, the fluid motion is reduced to one large vortex leading to a decreasing heat transfer between heated and cooled plate to pure heat conduction.From an analysis of the experimental and theoretical results, general design criteria are derived for the orientation and shape of the first wall coolant ducts of self-cooled liquid metal blankets. Methods to generate additional turbulence within the flow, which can improve the heat transfer further are elaborated.« less

Accelerator-based conversion (ABC) of weapons plutonium: Plant layout study and related design issues

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cowell, B.S.; Fontana, M.H.; Krakowski, R.A.

1995-04-01

In preparation for and in support of a detailed R and D Plan for the Accelerator-Based Conversion (ABC) of weapons plutonium, an ABC Plant Layout Study was conducted at the level of a pre-conceptual engineering design. The plant layout is based on an adaptation of the Molten-Salt Breeder Reactor (MSBR) detailed conceptual design that was completed in the early 1070s. Although the ABC Plant Layout Study included the Accelerator Equipment as an essential element, the engineering assessment focused primarily on the Target; Primary System (blanket and all systems containing plutonium-bearing fuel salt); the Heat-Removal System (secondary-coolant-salt and supercritical-steam systems); Chemicalmore » Processing; Operation and Maintenance; Containment and Safety; and Instrumentation and Control systems. Although constrained primarily to a reflection of an accelerator-driven (subcritical) variant of MSBR system, unique features and added flexibilities of the ABC suggest improved or alternative approaches to each of the above-listed subsystems; these, along with the key technical issues in need of resolution through a detailed R&D plan for ABC are described on the bases of the ``strawman`` or ``point-of-departure`` plant layout that resulted from this study.« less

Improved multilayer insulation applications. [spacecraft thermal control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikk, G.

1982-01-01

Multilayer insulation blankets used for the attenuation of radiant heat transfer in spacecraft are addressed. Typically, blanket effectiveness is degraded by heat leaks in the joints between adjacent blankets and by heat leaks caused by the blanket fastener system. An approach to blanket design based upon modular sub-blankets with distributed seams and upon an associated fastener system that practically eliminates the through-the-blanket conductive path is described. Test results are discussed providing confirmation of the approach. The specific case of the thermal control system for the optical assembly of the Space Telescope is examined.

Broad spectrum protection of broiler chickens against inclusion body hepatitis by immunizing their broiler breeder parents with a bivalent live fowl adenovirus vaccine.

PubMed

Popowich, Shelly; Gupta, Ashish; Chow-Lockerbie, Betty; Ayalew, Lisanework; Ambrose, Neil; Ojkic, Davor; Gunawardana, Thushari; Kurukulasuriya, Shanika; Willson, Philip; Tikoo, Suresh K; Gomis, Susantha

2018-06-01

Historically, fowl adenovirus (FAdV) associated inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) was considered a secondary disease in broiler chickens associated with immunosuppression. However, we previously reported the occurrence of IBH as a primary disease in the broiler chicken industry in Canada as a result of infections with various FAdV serotypes. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to develop an immunization strategy in broiler breeders using live FAdV 11-1047 and FAdV8a-TR59 to confer homologous and heterologous protection in broiler progeny against IBH and to study the efficacy of natural exposure of naïve broiler breeders to a vaccine virus from live FAdV vaccinated birds as an immunization technique. Broiler breeders vaccinated orally with FAdV8a-TR59 (1 × 10 4 TCID 50 /bird) and FAdV11-1047 (1 × 10 4 TCID 50 /bird), FAdV8a-TR59 (1 × 10 6 TCID 50 /bird) and FAdV11-1047 (1 × 10 6 TCID 50 /bird) or FAdV8b (1 × 10 6 TCID 50 /bird) transferred substantial levels of neutralizing antibodies to their progeny. The efficacy of maternal antibodies was studied by challenging 14-day old broiler chickens with 1 × 10 7 TCID 50 of FAdV2-685, FAdV7-x11a like, FAdV8a-TR59, FAdV8b-SK or FAdV11-1047 which are the dominant serotypes causing IBH outbreaks in Canada. Broiler chickens from the low and high dose vaccinated breeders were significantly protected against all serotypes of FAdV (P < 0.05). Comingling of unvaccinated broiler breeders with FAdV-vaccinated broiler breeders was an effective immunization technique for in-contact naïve birds. This study confirms that IBH can be effectively controlled in Canada by vaccination of broiler breeder parents with a bivalent vaccine containing live FAdV8a-TR59 and FAdV11-1047. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maternal antibody transfer to broiler progeny varies among strains and is affected by grain source and cage density.

PubMed

Leandro, N M; Ali, R; Koci, M; Moraes, V; Eusebio-Balcazar, P E; Jornigan, J; Malheiros, R D; Wineland, M J; Brake, J; Oviedo-Rondón, E O

2011-12-01

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of broiler breeder dietary grain source and cage density on maternal antibody (MatAb) transfer to progeny in 2 genetic strains (A and B). Broiler breeders were assigned to 16 litter floor pens and fed either corn- or wheat-based diets. Breeders were administered 4 live vaccines against Newcastle disease virus (NDV). At 23 wk of age, pullets and cocks, which reflected the full BW distribution from each treatment, were moved to a cage breeder house and placed at 1 or 2 hens/cage. Breeders were artificially inseminated at 44 wk (experiment 1) and 52 wk of age (experiment 2). Eggs were collected for 8 d, incubated, and placed in individual pedigree bags at d 19 of incubation. Blood samples from 5 chicks per treatment combination were collected at hatch in both experiments. Spleen and bursa were collected from the same chicks for histomorphometry analyses in experiment 2. In the second experiment, 12 chicks per treatment were placed in cages. Progeny were provided diets based on the same grain (corn or wheat) as their parents. Serum samples were collected at 5, 9, and 13 d of age and analyzed for anti-NDV MatAb. Data were analyzed as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design considering strain, dietary grain source, and cage density as main factors. Interaction effects were observed in breeders and progeny. Experiment 1 showed that strain A chicks had lower levels of MatAb when hens were housed at 2 hens/cage rather than 1 hen/cage. The MatAb levels of strain B chickens were not affected by cage density in either experiment. Experiment 2 demonstrated similar effects of cage density on MatAb levels and the area of bursa follicles for both strains. Progeny of breeders fed corn-based diets had smaller spleen white pulp only when hens were housed at 2 hens/cage compared with 1 hen/cage. The results of these experiments suggest that breeder strain and cage-density conditions affected MatAb transfer to progeny and embryo development of spleen and bursa.

Lightweight solar array blanket tooling, laser welding and cover process technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dillard, P. A.

1983-01-01

A two phase technology investigation was performed to demonstrate effective methods for integrating 50 micrometer thin solar cells into ultralightweight module designs. During the first phase, innovative tooling was developed which allows lightweight blankets to be fabricated in a manufacturing environment with acceptable yields. During the second phase, the tooling was improved and the feasibility of laser processing of lightweight arrays was confirmed. The development of the cell/interconnect registration tool and interconnect bonding by laser welding is described.

SEAL Studies of Variant Blanket Concepts and Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, I.; Taylor, N. P.; Forty, C. B. A.; Han, W. E.

1997-09-01

Within the European SEAL ( Safety and Environmental Assessment of fusion power, Long-term) program, safety and environmental assessments have been performed which extend the results of the earlier SEAFP (Safety and Environmental Assessment of Fusion Power) program to a wider range of blanket designs and material choices. The four blanket designs analysed were those which had been developed within the Blanket program of the European Fusion Programme. All four are based on martensitic steel as structural material, and otherwise may be summarized as: water-cooled lithium-lead; dual-cooled lithium-lead; helium-cooled lithium silicate (BOT geometry); helium-cooled lithium aluminate (or zirconate) (BIT geometry). The results reveal that all the blankets show the favorable S&E characteristics of fusion, though there are interesting and significant differences between them. The key results are described. Assessments have also been performed of a wider range of materials than was considered in SEAFP. These were: an alternative vanadium alloy, an alternative low-activation martensitic steel, titanium-aluminum intermetallic, and SiC composite. Assessed impurities were included in the compositions, and these had very important effects upon some of the results. Key results impacting upon accident characteristics, recycling, and waste management are described.

Selection of Breeding Stock among Australian Purebred Dog Breeders, with Particular Emphasis on the Dam.

PubMed

Czerwinski, Veronika; McArthur, Michelle; Smith, Bradley; Hynd, Philip; Hazel, Susan

2016-11-16

Every year, thousands of purebred domestic dogs are bred by registered dog breeders. Yet, little is known about the rearing environment of these dogs, or the attitudes and priorities surrounding breeding practices of these dog breeders. The objective of this study was to explore some of the factors that dog breeders consider important for stock selection, with a particular emphasis on issues relating to the dam. Two-hundred and seventy-four Australian purebred dog breeders, covering 91 breeds across all Australian National Kennel Club breed groups, completed an online survey relating to breeding practices. Most breeders surveyed (76%) reported specialising in one breed of dog, the median number of dogs and bitches per breeder was two and three respectively, and most breeders bred two litters or less a year. We identified four components, relating to the dam, that were considered important to breeders. These were defined as Maternal Care, Offspring Potential, Dam Temperament, and Dam Genetics and Health. Overall, differences were observed in attitudes and beliefs across these components, showing that there is variation according to breed/breed groups. In particular, the importance of Maternal Care varied according to dog breed group. Breeders of brachycephalic breeds tended to differ the most in relation to Offspring Potential and Dam Genetics and Health. The number of breeding dogs/bitches influenced breeding priority, especially in relation to Dam Temperament, however no effect was found relating to the number of puppies bred each year. Only 24% of breeders used their own sire for breeding. The finding that some breeders did not test for diseases relevant to their breed, such as hip dysplasia in Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds, provides important information on the need to educate some breeders, and also buyers of purebred puppies, that screening for significant diseases should occur. Further research into the selection of breeding dams and sires will inform future strategies to improve the health and behaviour of our best friend.

75 FR 50991 - Antidumping Duty Order: Certain Woven Electric Blankets From the People's Republic of China

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-18

...: Certain Woven Electric Blankets From the People's Republic of China AGENCY: Import Administration... electric blankets (``woven electric blankets'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). FOR FURTHER... Certain Woven Electric Blankets From the People's Republic of China: Final Determination of Sales at Less...

A computational investigation of the interstitial flow induced by a variably thick blanket of very fine sand covering a coarse sand bed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartzke, Gerhard; Huhn, Katrin; Bryan, Karin R.

2017-10-01

Blanketed sediment beds can have different bed mobility characteristics relative to those of beds composed of uniform grain-size distribution. Most of the processes that affect bed mobility act in the direct vicinity of the bed or even within the bed itself. To simulate the general conditions of analogue experiments, a high-resolution three-dimensional numerical `flume tank' model was developed using a coupled finite difference method flow model and a discrete element method particle model. The method was applied to investigate the physical processes within blanketed sediment beds under the influence of varying flow velocities. Four suites of simulations, in which a matrix of uniform large grains (600 μm) was blanketed by variably thick layers of small particles (80 μm; blanket layer thickness approx. 80, 350, 500 and 700 μm), were carried out. All beds were subjected to five predefined flow velocities ( U 1-5=10-30 cm/s). The fluid profiles, relative particle distances and porosity changes within the bed were determined for each configuration. The data show that, as the thickness of the blanket layer increases, increasingly more small particles accumulate in the indentations between the larger particles closest to the surface. This results in decreased porosity and reduced flow into the bed. In addition, with increasing blanket layer thickness, an increasingly larger number of smaller particles are forced into the pore spaces between the larger particles, causing further reduction in porosity. This ultimately causes the interstitial flow, which would normally allow entrainment of particles in the deeper parts of the bed, to decrease to such an extent that the bed is stabilized.

Expression of anti-Mullerian hormone in hens selected for different ovulation rates.

PubMed

Johnson, P A; Kent, T R; Urick, M E; Trevino, L S; Giles, J R

2009-05-01

In hens, the granulosa layer is the primary source of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), as it is in mammals. Small follicles express the greatest amount of Amh mRNA with less in the larger follicles. Laying hens have a distinct ovarian hierarchy of follicles while broiler breeder hens often have excessive follicle growth with a disrupted hierarchy. The objective of Experiment 1 was to examine Amh expression in two strains of hens differing in ovulatory efficiency. Amh expression was greater (P<0.01) in broiler breeder hens (n=6) as compared with laying hens (n=6). Experiment 2 was designed to examine whether alterations in follicular development due to diet, within the broiler breeder hens, were correlated with changes in the expression of Amh. Restricted feeding (RF) in broiler breeder hens promotes optimal follicular development. Egg production in broiler breeder hens on full feed (FF; n=8) was 78% that of hens on RF (n=9). The number of large follicles (P<0.05), total ovarian weight (P<0.01), and Amh mRNA expression were greater in FF hens as compared with RF hens (P<0.01). There was no difference in FSH receptor expression between the two groups. A direct nutritional effect was not supported because culture of granulosa cells with varying concentrations of glucose and insulin showed no effect on granulosa Amh expression. Finally, testis-conditioned medium resulted in a dose-related increase in granulosa cell proliferation, which could be inhibited by preincubation with AMH antibody. AMH may enhance granulosa cell proliferation through an autocrine or paracrine mechanism although excessive AMH may inhibit optimal follicle selection.

Comparative Study of Reproductive Development in Wild and Captive-Reared Greater Amberjack Seriola dumerili (Risso, 1810)

PubMed Central

Zupa, Rosa; Rodríguez, Covadonga; Mylonas, Constantinos C.; Rosenfeld, Hanna; Fakriadis, Ioannis; Papadaki, Maria; Pérez, José A.; Pousis, Chrysovalentinos; Basilone, Gualtiero

2017-01-01

The greater amberjack Seriola dumerili is a large teleost fish with rapid growth and excellent flesh quality, whose domestication represents an ambitious challenge for aquaculture. The occurrence of reproductive dysfunctions in greater amberjack reared in captivity was investigated by comparing reproductive development of wild and captive-reared individuals. Wild and captive-reared breeders were sampled in the Mediterranean Sea during three different phases of the reproductive cycle: early gametogenesis (EARLY, late April-early May), advanced gametogenesis (ADVANCED, late May-early June) and spawning (SPAWNING, late June-July). Fish reproductive state was evaluated using the gonado-somatic index (GSI), histological analysis of the gonads and determination of sex steroid levels in the plasma, and correlated with leptin expression in the liver and gonad biochemical composition. The GSI and sex steroid levels were lower in captive-reared than in wild fish. During the ADVANCED period, when the wild greater amberjack breeders were already in spawning condition, ovaries of captive-reared breeders showed extensive atresia of late vitellogenic oocytes and spermatogenic activity ceased in the testes of half of the examined males. During the SPAWNING period, all captive-reared fish had regressed gonads, while wild breeders still displayed reproductive activity. Liver leptin expression and gonad proximate composition of wild and captive greater amberjack were similar. However, the gonads of captive-reared fish showed different total polar lipid contents, as well as specific lipid classes and fatty acid profiles with respect to wild individuals. This study underlines the need for an improvement in rearing technology for this species, which should include minimum handling during the reproductive season and the formulation of a specific diet to overcome the observed gonadal decrements of phospholipids, DHA (22:6n-3) and ARA (20:4n-6), compared to wild breeders. PMID:28056063

Genome engineering and plant breeding: impact on trait discovery and development.

PubMed

Nogué, Fabien; Mara, Kostlend; Collonnier, Cécile; Casacuberta, Josep M

2016-07-01

New tools for the precise modification of crops genes are now available for the engineering of new ideotypes. A future challenge in this emerging field of genome engineering is to develop efficient methods for allele mining. Genome engineering tools are now available in plants, including major crops, to modify in a predictable manner a given gene. These new techniques have a tremendous potential for a spectacular acceleration of the plant breeding process. Here, we discuss how genetic diversity has always been the raw material for breeders and how they have always taken advantage of the best available science to use, and when possible, increase, this genetic diversity. We will present why the advent of these new techniques gives to the breeders extremely powerful tools for crop breeding, but also why this will require the breeders and researchers to characterize the genes underlying this genetic diversity more precisely. Tackling these challenges should permit the engineering of optimized alleles assortments in an unprecedented and controlled way.

Seasonal reproductive development of Lampsilis cardium, Amblema plicata plicata, and Potamilus alatus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holland Bartels, L. E.; Kammer, T.W.

1989-01-01

Adult specimens of three species of freshwater mussels common to the upper Mississippi River were examined histologically to determine seasonal patterns of development in gametogenesis and release of glochidia. Full maturation of gonadal materials in Lampsilis cardium (formerly L. ovata ventricosa), a long-term breeder, occurred when ambient river temperatures reached 24 degree to 26 degree C, between late July and early August. By mid-August, glochidia were present in the marsupia. Glochidia were released from late May through mid-June of the following year once water temperatures reached 20 degree C. The long-term breeder Potamilus alatus demonstrated full gonadal maturation earlier than seen in L. cardium with reproduction completed by late July (26 degree C). Glochidia of P. alatus were released over a period similar to that observed for L. cardium, late May through early July of the following year. Fully mature Amblema plicata plicata, a short-term breeder, were collected from late May through early July (18 degree to 21 degree C). (DBO).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Panayotov, Dobromir; Poitevin, Yves; Grief, Andrew

'Fusion for Energy' (F4E) is designing, developing, and implementing the European Helium-Cooled Lead-Lithium (HCLL) and Helium-Cooled Pebble-Bed (HCPB) Test Blanket Systems (TBSs) for ITER (Nuclear Facility INB-174). Safety demonstration is an essential element for the integration of these TBSs into ITER and accident analysis is one of its critical components. A systematic approach to accident analysis has been developed under the F4E contract on TBS safety analyses. F4E technical requirements, together with Amec Foster Wheeler and INL efforts, have resulted in a comprehensive methodology for fusion breeding blanket accident analysis that addresses the specificity of the breeding blanket designs, materials,more » and phenomena while remaining consistent with the approach already applied to ITER accident analyses. Furthermore, the methodology phases are illustrated in the paper by its application to the EU HCLL TBS using both MELCOR and RELAP5 codes.« less

75 FR 46911 - Certain Woven Electric Blankets from the People's Republic of China: Amended Final Determination...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-04

... Blankets from the People's Republic of China: Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value... than fair value (``LTFV'') in the antidumping investigation of certain woven electric blankets (``woven electric blankets'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). See Certain Woven Electric Blankets...

The conversion of a room temperature NaK loop to a high temperature MHD facility for Li/V blanket testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reed, C.B.; Haglund, R.C.; Miller, M.E.

1996-12-31

The Vanadium/Lithium system has been the recent focus of ANL`s Blanket Technology Pro-ram, and for the last several years, ANL`s Liquid Metal Blanket activities have been carried out in direct support of the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) breeding blanket task area. A key feasibility issue for the ITER Vanadium/Lithium breeding blanket is the Near the development of insulator coatings. Design calculations, Hua and Gohar, show that an electrically insulating layer is necessary to maintain an acceptably low magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) pressure drop in the current ITER design. Consequently, the decision was made to convert Argonne`s Liquid Metal EXperiment (ALEX) frommore » a 200{degrees}C NaK facility to a 350{degrees}C lithium facility. The upgraded facility was designed to produce MHD pressure drop data, test section voltage distributions, and heat transfer data for mid-scale test sections and blanket mockups at Hartmann numbers (M) and interaction parameters (N) in the range of 10{sup 3} to 10{sup 5} in lithium at 350{degrees}C. Following completion of the upgrade work, a short performance test was conducted, followed by two longer multiple-hour, MHD tests, all at 230{degrees}C. The modified ALEX facility performed up to expectations in the testing. MHD pressure drop and test section voltage distributions were collected at Hartmann numbers of 1000.« less

Conversion of a room temperature NaK loop to a high temperature MHD facility for Li/V blanket testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reed, C.B.; Haglund, R.C.; Miller, M.E.

1996-12-31

The Vanadium/Lithium system has been the recent focus of ANL`s Blanket Technology Program, and for the last several years, ANL`s Liquid Metal Blanket activities have been carried out in direct support of the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) breeding blanket task area. A key feasibility issue for the ITER Vanadium/Lithium breeding blanket is the development of insulator coatings. Design calculations, Hua and Gohar, show that an electrically insulating layer is necessary to maintain an acceptably low magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pressure drop in the current ITER design. Consequently, the decision was made to convert Argonne`s Liquid Metal EXperiment (ALEX) from a 200{degree}Cmore » NaK facility to a 350{degree}C lithium facility. The upgraded facility was designed to produce MHD pressure drop data, test section voltage distributions, and heat transfer data for mid-scale test sections and blanket mockups at Hartmann numbers (M) and interaction parameters (N) in the range of 10{sup 3} to 10{sup 5} in lithium at 350{degree}C. Following completion of the upgrade work, a short performance test was conducted, followed by two longer, multiple-hour, MHD tests, all at 230{degree}C. The modified ALEX facility performed up to expectations in the testing. MHD pressure drop and test section voltage distributions were collected at Hartmann numbers of 1000. 4 refs., 2 figs.« less

Effects of breeder turnover and harvest on group composition and recruitment in a social carnivore

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ausband, David E.; Mitchell, Michael S.; Waits, Lisette P.

2017-01-01

Breeder turnover can influence population growth in social carnivores through changes to group size, composition and recruitment.Studies that possess detailed group composition data that can provide insights about the effects of breeder turnover on groups have generally been conducted on species that are not subject to recurrent annual human harvest. We wanted to know how breeder turnover affects group composition and how harvest, in turn, affects breeder turnover in cooperatively breeding grey wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus 1758).We used noninvasive genetic sampling at wolf rendezvous sites to construct pedigrees and estimate recruitment in groups of wolves before and after harvest in Idaho, USA.Turnover of breeding females increased polygamy and potential recruits per group by providing breeding opportunities for subordinates although resultant group size was unaffected 1 year after the turnover. Breeder turnover had no effect on the number of nonbreeding helpers per group. After breeding male turnover, fewer female pups were recruited in the new males’ litters. Harvest had no effect on the frequency of breeder turnover.We found that breeder turnover led to shifts in the reproductive hierarchies within groups and the resulting changes to group composition were quite variable and depended on the sex of the breeder lost. We hypothesize that nonbreeding females direct help away from non-kin female pups to preserve future breeding opportunities for themselves. Breeder turnover had marked effects on the breeding opportunities of subordinates and the number and sex ratios of subsequent litters of pups. Seemingly subtle changes to groups, such as the loss of one individual, can greatly affect group composition, genetic content, and short-term population growth when the individual lost is a breeder.

Effects of breeder turnover and harvest on group composition and recruitment in a social carnivore.

PubMed

Ausband, David E; Mitchell, Michael S; Waits, Lisette P

2017-09-01

Breeder turnover can influence population growth in social carnivores through changes to group size, composition and recruitment. Studies that possess detailed group composition data that can provide insights about the effects of breeder turnover on groups have generally been conducted on species that are not subject to recurrent annual human harvest. We wanted to know how breeder turnover affects group composition and how harvest, in turn, affects breeder turnover in cooperatively breeding grey wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus 1758). We used noninvasive genetic sampling at wolf rendezvous sites to construct pedigrees and estimate recruitment in groups of wolves before and after harvest in Idaho, USA. Turnover of breeding females increased polygamy and potential recruits per group by providing breeding opportunities for subordinates although resultant group size was unaffected 1 year after the turnover. Breeder turnover had no effect on the number of nonbreeding helpers per group. After breeding male turnover, fewer female pups were recruited in the new males' litters. Harvest had no effect on the frequency of breeder turnover. We found that breeder turnover led to shifts in the reproductive hierarchies within groups and the resulting changes to group composition were quite variable and depended on the sex of the breeder lost. We hypothesize that nonbreeding females direct help away from non-kin female pups to preserve future breeding opportunities for themselves. Breeder turnover had marked effects on the breeding opportunities of subordinates and the number and sex ratios of subsequent litters of pups. Seemingly subtle changes to groups, such as the loss of one individual, can greatly affect group composition, genetic content, and short-term population growth when the individual lost is a breeder. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2017 British Ecological Society.

Development of an EBIS charge breeder for the Rare Isotope Science Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, Hyock-Jun; Park, Young-Ho; Kondrashev, Sergey; Kim, Jongwon; Lee, Bong Ju; Chung, Moses

2017-10-01

In Korea, a heavy ion accelerator facility called RAON is being designed to produce various rare isotopes for the Rare Isotope Science Project (RISP) (Jeong, 2016) [1], (Moon, 2014) [2]. This facility is designed to use both In-flight Fragment (IF) and Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) techniques in order to produce a wide variety of RI beams for nuclear physics experiments. An Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS) will be used for charge breeding of Rare Isotope (RI) beams in the ISOL system. The charge-to-mass ratio (q/A) of the RI beams after charge breeding is ≥1/4. The highly charged RI beams will be accelerated by a linac post-accelerator and delivered to a low energy (∼18 MeV/u) experimental hall or the IF system. The RAON EBIS will use a 3 A electron gun and a 6 T superconducting solenoid for high capacity, high efficiency, and short breeding time. In front of the charge breeder, an RFQ cooler-buncher will be used to deliver a bunched beam with small emittance to the EBIS charge breeder. The main design of the RAON EBIS has been carried out on the basis of several beam analyses and technical reviews. In this paper, current progress of the development of the RAON EBIS charge breeder will be presented.

Effect of processing parameters and pore structure of nanostructured silica aerogel on the physical properties of aerogel blankets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latifi, Fatemeh; Talebi, Zahra; Khalili, Haleh; Zarrebini, Mohammad

2018-05-01

This work investigates the influence of processing parameters and aerogel pore structure on the physical properties and hydrophobicity of aerogel blankets. Aerogel blankets were produced by in situ synthesis of nanostructured silica aerogel on a polyester nonwoven substrate. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis, contact angle test and FE-SEM images were used to characterize both the aerogel particles and the blankets. The results showed that the weight and thickness of the blanket were reduced when the low amount of catalyst was used. A decrease in the aerogel pore size from 22 to 11 nm increased the weight and thickness of the blankets. The xerogel particles with high density and pore size of 5 nm reduced the blanket weight. Also, the blanket weight and thickness were increased due to increasing the sol volume. It was found that the hydrophobicity of aerogel blankets is not influenced by sol volume and pore structure of silica aerogel.

Maize sugary enhancer1 (se1) is a presence-absence variant of a previously uncharacterized gene and development of educational videos to raise the profile of plant breeding and improve curricula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haro von Mogel, Karl J.

Carbohydrate metabolism is a biologically, economically, and culturally important process in crop plants. Humans have selected many crop species such as maize (Zea mays L.) in ways that have resulted in changes to carbohydrate metabolic pathways, and understanding the underlying genetics of this pathway is therefore exceedingly important. A previously uncharacterized starch metabolic pathway mutant, sugary enhancer1 (se1), is a recessive modifier of sugary1 (su1) sweet corn that increases the sugar content while maintaining an appealing creamy texture. This allele has been incorporated into many sweet corn varieties since its discovery in the 1970s, however, testing for the presence of this allele has been difficult. A genetic stock was developed that allowed the presence of se1 to be visually scored in segregating ears, which were used to genetically map se1 to the deletion of a single gene model located on the distal end of the long arm of chromosome 2. An analysis of homology found that this gene is specific to monocots, and the gene is expressed in the endosperm and developing leaf. The se1 allele increased water soluble polysaccharide (WSP) and decreased amylopectin in maize endosperm, but there was no overall effect on starch content in mature leaves due to se1. This discovery will lead to a greater understanding of starch metabolism, and the marker developed will assist in breeding. There is a present need for increased training for plant breeders to meet the growing needs of the human population. To raise the profile of plant breeding among young students, a series of videos called Fields of Study was developed. These feature interviews with plant breeders who talk about what they do as plant breeders and what they enjoy about their chosen profession. To help broaden the education of students in college biology courses, and assist with the training of plant breeders, a second video series, Pollination Methods was developed. Each video focuses on one or two major crops, their genetics, and shows how to make controlled crosses with these plants. Both video series have already made contributions to the recruitment and training of future plant breeders.

PEP solar array definition study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The conceptual design of a large, flexible, lightweight solar array is presented focusing on a solar array overview assessment, solar array blanket definition, structural-mechanical systems definition, and launch/reentry blanket protection features. The overview assessment includes a requirements and constraints review, the thermal environment assessment on the design selection, an evaluation of blanket integration sequence, a conceptual blanket/harness design, and a hot spot analysis considering the effects of shadowing and cell failures on overall array reliability. The solar array blanket definition includes the substrate design, hinge designs and blanket/harness flexibility assessment. The structural/mechanical systems definition includes an overall loads and deflection assessment, a frequency analysis of the deployed assembly, a components weights estimate, design of the blanket housing and tensioning mechanism. The launch/reentry blanket protection task includes assessment of solar cell/cover glass cushioning concepts during ascent and reentry flight condition.

Effects of maternal dietary EPA and DHA supplementation and breeder age on embryonic and post-hatch performance of broiler offspring: age and n-3 pufa affect embryonic and post-hatch performance.

PubMed

Koppenol, A; Delezie, E; Wang, Y; Franssens, L; Willems, E; Ampe, B; Buyse, J; Everaert, N

2015-04-01

Breeder age and nutrition are amongst the most important factors affecting progeny growth and development. The present experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of n-3 fatty acid (FA), with special emphasis on the ratio of eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic (DHA, 22:6 n-3) acid, provided to the diet of ageing broiler breeder hens at different ratios, on the incubation parameters and the performance of the offspring. Four hundred and eighty Ross-308 broiler breeder hens were fed one of four different diets (120/treatment), with an equal fat content. The control diet was a basal diet, rich in n-6 FAs (CON). Blends of fish oil were used to enrich the three other diets in n-3 FA and to obtain different EPA/DHA ratios of 1/1 (EPA=DHA), 1/2 (DHA) or 2/1 (EPA). Every 5 weeks, incubation parameters were assessed. Every 15 weeks, offspring was reared until slaughter age on a standard diet. Breeder age affected almost all incubation and post-hatch parameters, whereas n-3 FA treatment only lowered egg weight (p < 0.0001) and consequently hatched chick weight (p < 0.0001). Supplementation of EPA resulted in a higher proportional liver weight (p = 0.0219) at hatch, a lower body weight up to 28 days post-hatch (p = 0.0418), a lower daily weight gain (p = 0.0498) and a higher feed conversion ratio (p = 0.0395) during the starter period (p = 0.0498), resulting in a higher overall offspring feed conversion ratio (p = 0.0317) compared to the control diet. DHA supplementation, on the other hand, resulted in a lower residual yolk weight (p = 0.0220) and a higher overall offspring mortality (p = 0.0125). In conclusion, supplementation of n-3 FA could not counter the adverse effect of breeder flock age, but did not harm incubation or improve post-hatch performance, either. EPA and DHA affected offspring development differently during early post-hatch life. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Developing structural, high-heat flux and plasma facing materials for a near-term DEMO fusion power plant: The EU assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stork, D.; Agostini, P.; Boutard, J. L.; Buckthorpe, D.; Diegele, E.; Dudarev, S. L.; English, C.; Federici, G.; Gilbert, M. R.; Gonzalez, S.; Ibarra, A.; Linsmeier, Ch.; Li Puma, A.; Marbach, G.; Morris, P. F.; Packer, L. W.; Raj, B.; Rieth, M.; Tran, M. Q.; Ward, D. J.; Zinkle, S. J.

2014-12-01

The findings of the EU 'Materials Assessment Group' (MAG), within the 2012 EU Fusion Roadmap exercise, are discussed. MAG analysed the technological readiness of structural, plasma facing and high heat flux materials for a DEMO concept to be constructed in the early 2030s, proposing a coherent strategy for R&D up to a DEMO construction decision. A DEMO phase I with a 'Starter Blanket' and 'Starter Divertor' is foreseen: the blanket being capable of withstanding ⩾2 MW yr m-2 fusion neutron fluence (∼20 dpa in the front-wall steel). A second phase ensues for DEMO with ⩾5 MW yr m-2 first wall neutron fluence. Technical consequences for the materials required and the development, testing and modelling programmes, are analysed using: a systems engineering approach, considering reactor operational cycles, efficient maintenance and inspection requirements, and interaction with functional materials/coolants; and a project-based risk analysis, with R&D to mitigate risks from material shortcomings including development of specific risk mitigation materials. The DEMO balance of plant constrains the blanket and divertor coolants to remain unchanged between the two phases. The blanket coolant choices (He gas or pressurised water) put technical constraints on the blanket steels, either to have high strength at higher temperatures than current baseline variants (above 650 °C for high thermodynamic efficiency from He-gas coolant), or superior radiation-embrittlement properties at lower temperatures (∼290-320 °C), for construction of water-cooled blankets. Risk mitigation proposed would develop these options in parallel, and computational and modelling techniques to shorten the cycle-time of new steel development will be important to achieve tight R&D timescales. The superior power handling of a water-cooled divertor target suggests a substructure temperature operating window (∼200-350 °C) that could be realised, as a baseline-concept, using tungsten on a copper-alloy substructure. The difficulty of establishing design codes for brittle tungsten puts great urgency on the development of a range of advanced ductile or strengthened tungsten and copper compounds. Lessons learned from Fission reactor material development have been included, especially in safety and licensing, fabrication/joining techniques and designing for in-vessel inspection. The technical basis of using the ITER licensing experience to refine the issues in nuclear testing of materials is discussed. Testing with 14 MeV neutrons is essential to Fusion Materials development, and the Roadmap requires acquisition of ⩾30 dpa (steels) 14 MeV test data by 2026. The value and limits of pre-screening testing with fission neutrons on isotopically- or chemically-doped steels and with ion-beams are evaluated to help determine the minimum14 MeV testing programme requirements.

Space-Spurred Metallized Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

Among a score of applications for a space spinoff reflective material called TXG is the emergency blanket manufactured by Metallized Products, Inc. Used by ski patrol to protect a skier shaken by a fall, the blanket retains up to 80% of user's body heat preventing post accident shock or chills. Carried by many types of emergency teams, blanket is large when unfolded, but folds into a package no larger than a deck of cards. Many other uses include, emergency blankets, all weather blanket, tanning blanket, window shields, radar reflector life raft canopies, etc.

Development of Measures to Assess Product Modularity and Reconfigurability

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

mission needs. For example, a thermal blanket is the only “module” currently being used to control spacecraft temperature (i.e. no active cooling). If...infrastructure, and thermal control. The spacecraft components include the autonomous flight software; the quantity of high- performance computing; power... thermal requirements are satisfied using this thermal blanket , then there may not be a need for active cooling to improve the thermal range of the

Space Station Freedom Solar Array tension mechanism development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allmon, Curtis; Haugen, Bert

1994-01-01

A tension mechanism is used to apply a tension force to the Space Station Freedom Solar Array Blanket. This tension is necessary to meet the deployed frequency requirement of the array as well as maintain the flatness of the flexible substrate solar cell blanket. The mechanism underwent a series of design iterations before arriving at the final design. This paper discusses the design and testing of the mechanism.

Solar array technology evaluation program for SEPS (Solar Electrical Propulsion Stage)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

An evaluation of the technology and the development of a preliminary design for a 25 kilowatt solar array system for solar electric propulsion are discussed. The solar array has a power to weight ratio of 65 watts per kilogram. The solar array system is composed of two wings. Each wing consists of a solar array blanket, a blanket launch storage container, an extension/retraction mast assembly, a blanket tensioning system, an array electrical harness, and hardware for supporting the system for launch and in the operating position. The technology evaluation was performed to assess the applicable solar array state-of-the-art and to define supporting research necessary to achieve technology readiness for meeting the solar electric propulsion system solar array design requirements.

Radiation effects measurements on spacecraft electrostatic discharge tapes, thermal blankets and thermooptical coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bouquet, F. L.; Hribar, V. F.; Metzler, E. C.; Russell, D. A.

1984-01-01

Selective results are presented of laboratory radiation tests of metallic foil tapes, thermal blankets, and thermooptical coatings undertaken as part of the development and qualification of materials for the Galileo spacecraft. Of the two metallic foil tapes used for electrical continuity, the adhesive used on the aluminum embossed foil was superior to the copper embossed foil when exposed to simulated Jovian electrons. Proton-irradiation tests performed on a number of thermal blanket samples showed that black polyester on Kapton proved to be a lower weight loss (i.e., outgassing) material than Fluorglas. In addition, preliminary results concerning the response of thermooptical coatings to simulated Jovian electrons show that the ITO-coated polyester over a Kapton surface gave the lowest absorptance.

Heterogeneous sodium fast reactor designed for transmuting minor actinide waste isotopes into plutonium fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bays, Samuel Eugene

2008-10-01

In the past several years there has been a renewed interest in sodium fast reactor (SFR) technology for the purpose of destroying transuranic waste (TRU) produced by light water reactors (LWR). The utility of SFRs as waste burners is due to the fact that higher neutron energies allow all of the actinides, including the minor actinides (MA), to contribute to fission. It is well understood that many of the design issues of LWR spent nuclear fuel (SNF) disposal in a geologic repository are linked to MAs. Because the probability of fission for essentially all the "non-fissile" MAs is nearly zero at low neutron energies, these isotopes act as a neutron capture sink in most thermal reactor systems. Furthermore, because most of the isotopes produced by these capture reactions are also non-fissile, they too are neutron sinks in most thermal reactor systems. Conversely, with high neutron energies, the MAs can produce neutrons by fast fission. Additionally, capture reactions transmute the MAs into mostly plutonium isotopes, which can fission more readily at any energy. The transmutation of non-fissile into fissile atoms is the premise of the plutonium breeder reactor. In a breeder reactor, not only does the non-fissile "fertile" U-238 atom contribute fast fission neutrons, but also transmutes into fissile Pu-239. The fissile value of the plutonium produced by MA transmutation can only be realized in fast neutron spectra. This is due to the fact that the predominate isotope produced by MA transmutation, Pu-238, is itself not fissile. However, the Pu-238 fission cross section is significantly larger than the original transmutation parent, predominately: Np-237 and Am-241, in the fast energy range. Also, Pu-238's fission cross section and fission-to-capture ratio is almost as high as that of fissile Pu-239 in the fast neutron spectrum. It is also important to note that a neutron absorption in Pu-238, that does not cause fission, will instead produce fissile Pu-239. Given this fast fissile quality and also the fact that Pu-238 is transmuted from Np-237 and Am-241, these MAs are regarded as fertile material in the SFR design proposed by this dissertation. This dissertation demonstrates a SFR design which is dedicated to plutonium breeding by targeting Am-241 transmutation. This SFR design uses a moderated axial transmutation target that functions primarily as a pseudo-blanket fuel, which is reprocessed with the active driver fuel in an integrated recycling strategy. This work demonstrates the cost and feasibility advantages of plutonium breeding via MA transmutation by adopting reactor, reprocessing and fuel technologies previously demonstrated for traditional breeder reactors. The fuel cycle proposed seeks to find a harmony between the waste management advantages of transuranic burning SFRs and the resource sustainability of traditional plutonium breeder SFRs. As a result, the enhanced plutonium conversion from MAs decreases the burner SFR's fuel costs, by extracting more fissile value from the initial TRU purchased through SNF reprocessing.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dobromir Panayotov; Andrew Grief; Brad J. Merrill

'Fusion for Energy' (F4E) develops designs and implements the European Test Blanket Systems (TBS) in ITER - Helium-Cooled Lithium-Lead (HCLL) and Helium-Cooled Pebble-Bed (HCPB). Safety demonstration is an essential element for the integration of TBS in ITER and accident analyses are one of its critical segments. A systematic approach to the accident analyses had been acquired under the F4E contract on TBS safety analyses. F4E technical requirements and AMEC and INL efforts resulted in the development of a comprehensive methodology for fusion breeding blanket accident analyses. It addresses the specificity of the breeding blankets design, materials and phenomena and atmore » the same time is consistent with the one already applied to ITER accident analyses. Methodology consists of several phases. At first the reference scenarios are selected on the base of FMEA studies. In the second place elaboration of the accident analyses specifications we use phenomena identification and ranking tables to identify the requirements to be met by the code(s) and TBS models. Thus the limitations of the codes are identified and possible solutions to be built into the models are proposed. These include among others the loose coupling of different codes or code versions in order to simulate multi-fluid flows and phenomena. The code selection and issue of the accident analyses specifications conclude this second step. Furthermore the breeding blanket and ancillary systems models are built on. In this work challenges met and solutions used in the development of both MELCOR and RELAP5 codes models of HCLL and HCPB TBSs will be shared. To continue the developed models are qualified by comparison with finite elements analyses, by code to code comparison and sensitivity studies. Finally, the qualified models are used for the execution of the accident analyses of specific scenario. When possible the methodology phases will be illustrated in the paper by limited number of tables and figures. Description of each phase and its results in detail as well the methodology applications to EU HCLL and HCPB TBSs will be published in separate papers. The developed methodology is applicable to accident analyses of other TBSs to be tested in ITER and as well to DEMO breeding blankets.« less

Gauge Measures Thicknesses Of Blankets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hagen, George R.; Yoshino, Stanley Y.

1991-01-01

Tool makes highly repeatable measurements of thickness of penetrable blanket insulation. Includes commercial holder for replaceable knife blades, which holds needle instead of knife. Needle penetrates blanket to establish reference plane. Ballasted slider applies fixed preload to blanket. Technician reads thickness value on scale.

U.S. Nuclear Cooperation with India: Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-11-03

separation list: ! 8 indigenous Indian power reactors ! Fast Breeder test Reactor (FTBR) and Prototype Fast Breeder Reactors (PFBR) under construction...facilities like reprocessing and enrichment plants and breeder reactors could be viewed as providing a significant nonproliferation benefit because the... breeder reactors would support the 2002 U.S. National Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction, in which the United States pledged to “continue to

U.S. Nuclear Cooperation with India: Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-02

8 indigenous Indian power reactors ! Fast Breeder test Reactor (FTBR) and Prototype Fast Breeder Reactors (PFBR) under construction ! Enrichment... breeder reactors could be viewed as providing a significant nonproliferation benefit because the materials produced by these plants are a few steps closer...to potential use in a bomb. In addition, safeguards on enrichment, reprocessing plants, and breeder reactors would support the 2002 U.S. National

Characterization of advertisements for puppies sold online: determinants of cost and a comparison with parent club breeders.

PubMed

Voris, H C; Wittum, T E; Rajala-Schultz, P J; Lord, L K

2011-07-01

The Internet is an increasingly common way for consumers to purchase puppies. Yet very little information is available about the types of puppies sold via the Internet. In addition these sales are not subject to United States Depart of Agriculture (USDA) regulation. The objectives of the study were to describe puppies sold via the Internet, to assess the characteristics that contribute to the cost of a puppy, and to compare puppies sold via the Internet with puppies sold by American Kennel Club (AKC) Parent Club breeders. Over 14 weeks in 2008, Yorkshire Terrier, Shih Tzu, English Bulldog, Boxer, and Labrador Retriever puppies for sale on two large-scale online puppy sales sites were categorized based on their Internet advertisements. Data were collected in three categories: puppy characteristics, health characteristics, and policies (such as spay/neuter requirement, health guarantee, and return policy). After the survey was completed, 25 AKC Parent Club breeders and 25 other breeders who advertised via one of the puppy sales websites were randomly selected and interviewed over the phone. Small breed puppies were most frequently advertised with 35.2% (1228/3485) of advertisements for Yorkshire Terriers and 23.0% (802/3485) for Shih Tzus. Almost one quarter of Internet breeders 768/3474 (22.2%) advertised four or more different dog breeds. Champion bloodlines increased the cost of a puppy of all breeds. AKC Parent Club breeders 21/25 (84%) were more likely to mention breed-specific health screening tests when compared to Internet breeders 7/25 (28%). Consumers should apply the same standards for purchasing from a breeder found through a puppy sales site as they would for purchasing from a local breeder. Breeders who advertise at one of the large-scale puppy sales websites are less knowledgeable about breed-specific health issues compared to an AKC Parent Club breeder. Internet breeders are less likely to perform these screening tests on their breeding dogs and may breed dogs with undesirable heritable health risks. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Respiratory diseases and allergic sensitization in swine breeders: a population-based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Galli, Luigina; Facchetti, Susanna; Raffetti, Elena; Donato, Francesco; D'Anna, Mauro

2015-11-01

The daily occupation as a swine breeder involves exposure to several bacterial components and organic dusts and inhalation of a large amount of allergens. To investigate the risk of respiratory diseases and atopy in swine breeders compared with the general population living in the same area. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in an agricultural area of northern Italy that enrolled a random sample of resident male breeders and non-breeders. Demographic features, comorbidities, and presence of allergic respiratory disease were retrieved through interview. Prick tests for common allergens were performed. An evaluation of pollen and mold in air samples taken inside and outside some swine confinement buildings also was performed. One hundred one male breeders (78 native-born, mean age ± SD 43.0 ± 11.1 years) and 82 non-breeders (43.0 ± 11.1 years) were enrolled. When restricting the analysis to native-born subjects, breeders vs non-breeders showed a lower prevalence of respiratory allergy (12.8% vs 31.1%, respectively, P = .002), asthma (6.4% vs 15.8%, P = .059), rhinitis (16.7% vs 51.2%, P < .001), persistent cough (5.1% vs 15.9%, P = .028), and sensitization to grass (7.7% vs 25.6%, P = .002). There was no difference in prick test positivity, polysensitization, nasal cytologic pattern, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, and the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity between breeders and non-breeders. Air concentration of molds and pollens was lower inside than outside the swine buildings investigated, particularly when the pigs were inside vs outside the buildings. This study suggests that swine breeding does not increase, and might decrease, the risk of pollen sensitization and allergic disease. Copyright © 2015 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Noise Transmission Studies of an Advanced Grid-Stiffened Composite Fairing

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-10-01

increase in blanket thickness and weight [7]. The evolved expendable launch vehicle (EELV) programs have conducted research to ensure that their launch...uses an aluminum fairing that is 4 to 5 m in diameter. The Atlas V 500 and heavy lift vehicles use a fairing designed and built by Contraves , which...builds the Ariane V launch vehicle for the European Space Agency. Contraves developed an innovative acoustic blanket for fairing noise reduction that

Strategic growth decisions in helper cichlids.

PubMed Central

Heg, Dik; Bender, Nicole; Hamilton, Ian

2004-01-01

Recently, it has been shown that group-living subordinate clownfish Amphiprion percula increase their growth rate after acquiring the dominant breeder male position in the group. Evidence was found for strategic growth adjustments of subordinate fishes depending on the threat of eviction, i.e. subordinates adjust their growth rates so they remain smaller than the dominant fish and thereby limit the threat of being expelled from the territory. However, it is impossible to exclude several alternative factors that potentially could have influenced the observed changes in growth, owing to the nature of that experiment (removing the second-ranking fish--the breeder male--caused the third-ranking fish to change sex to become breeder male and change rank). We studied strategic growth decisions in the group-living Lake Tanganyika cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher under controlled laboratory conditions with ad libitum food availability. First, we show that male breeders grow faster than subordinate male helpers of the same initial size and confirm that N. pulcher shows status-dependent growth. Second, we improved on the experimental design by not removing the dominant breeder male in the group; instead we replaced the breeder male with a new breeder male in a full factorial design and measured growth of the subordinate male helpers is a function of the size difference with the old and the new breeder male. As predicted, male helpers showed strategic growth adjustments, i.e. growing faster when the size difference with the breeder male is large. Strategic growth adjustments were less pronounced than status-dependent growth adjustments. PMID:15801617

Strategic growth decisions in helper cichlids.

PubMed

Heg, Dik; Bender, Nicole; Hamilton, Ian

2004-12-07

Recently, it has been shown that group-living subordinate clownfish Amphiprion percula increase their growth rate after acquiring the dominant breeder male position in the group. Evidence was found for strategic growth adjustments of subordinate fishes depending on the threat of eviction, i.e. subordinates adjust their growth rates so they remain smaller than the dominant fish and thereby limit the threat of being expelled from the territory. However, it is impossible to exclude several alternative factors that potentially could have influenced the observed changes in growth, owing to the nature of that experiment (removing the second-ranking fish--the breeder male--caused the third-ranking fish to change sex to become breeder male and change rank). We studied strategic growth decisions in the group-living Lake Tanganyika cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher under controlled laboratory conditions with ad libitum food availability. First, we show that male breeders grow faster than subordinate male helpers of the same initial size and confirm that N. pulcher shows status-dependent growth. Second, we improved on the experimental design by not removing the dominant breeder male in the group; instead we replaced the breeder male with a new breeder male in a full factorial design and measured growth of the subordinate male helpers is a function of the size difference with the old and the new breeder male. As predicted, male helpers showed strategic growth adjustments, i.e. growing faster when the size difference with the breeder male is large. Strategic growth adjustments were less pronounced than status-dependent growth adjustments.

The FEI-TPS on the Upper Surface of the X-38

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonenko, Johann; Kowal, John

2002-01-01

The X-38 is being developed by NASA-JSC as a technology demonstrator of a future Crew Rescue Vehicle. The size of the vehicle is limited to fit into the cargo bay of the shuttle. Due to its small size and shuttle-like trajectory all surfaces will receive comparably high heat rates leading to high surface temperatures. Temperatures on the nose are calculated to reach 1750°C, which is significantly higher than on the shuttle. Due to the lifting body shape, large areas of the central fuselage will be exposed to flow of hot gases around the vehicle. Here temperatures of the upper surface are calculated to reach up to 1000°C and the application of a high temperature blanket thermal protection system (TPS) becomes mandatory. Consecutively, the temperature level of the upper surface and the base area will be significantly high. Unlike on the shuttle, where large areas of the surface are covered by flexible reusable surface insulation (FRSI), locations with temperatures below 400°C will be scarce on the X-38. During development of the European shuttle HERMES the Flexible External Insulation (FEI) was developed for the upper surface TPS. This development was continued by ESA and DLR funded programs and currently a product family is available for temperatures ranging from 450°C to 1100°C for re-usable application. For a single re- entry under ultimate conditions temperatures may reach up to 1400°C. Under funding of DLR and ESA, the FEI assembly is one of the European contributions to the X-38. Three subassemblies have been chosen: the FEI-450, FEI-650 and FEI- 1000, capable of limit temperatures of 450°C, 650°C and 1000°C, respectively. The FEI-650 and FEI-1000 were already developed in the HERMES program. The FEI- 450 was developed in the German TETRA program. The qualification for X-38 application was performed for temperatures up to 510°C for the FEI-450 and up to 1130°C for the FEI-1000. Acoustic noise loads of up to 160dB have been endured, far beyond what X-38 will ever experience. The paper presents the design of the flexible blanket TPS in a joint effort by NASA-JSC and Astrium. The design process at NASA had to consider aerothermal loads and constraints of the structure and parachute subsystems. It provided the configuration of the FEI assembly and the requirements design of the FEI blankets. Astrium first designed the concept and lay-out of the FEI-assembly. Proceeding from NASA furnished model files, the design to manufacturing of the FEI-blankets was established. In addition, Astrium qualified the FEI for X-38 application. The FEI design is constrained by the aeroshell concept that distinguishes acreage panels, carrier panels and close-out areas, with dedicated blankets for each. Close out areas cover the locations of the parafoil system and create an uneven surface requiring vaulted blankets. The total of these requirements leads to an assembly of a large number of blankets, several of which have a complex shape.

Thermal comfort and safety of cotton blankets warmed at 130°F and 200°F.

PubMed

Kelly, Patricia A; Cooper, Susan K; Krogh, Mary L; Morse, Elizabeth C; Crandall, Craig G; Winslow, Elizabeth H; Balluck, Julie P

2013-12-01

In 2009, the ECRI Institute recommended warming cotton blankets in cabinets set at 130°F or less. However, there is limited research to support the use of this cabinet temperature. To measure skin temperatures and thermal comfort in healthy volunteers before and after application of blankets warmed in cabinets set at 130 and 200°F, respectively, and to determine the time-dependent cooling of cotton blankets after removal from warming cabinets set at the two temperatures. Prospective, comparative, descriptive. Participants (n = 20) received one or two blankets warmed in 130 or 200°F cabinets. First, skin temperatures were measured, and thermal comfort reports were obtained at fixed timed intervals. Second, blanket temperatures (n = 10) were measured at fixed intervals after removal from the cabinets. No skin temperatures approached levels reported in the literature that cause epidermal damage. Thermal comfort reports supported using blankets from the 200°F cabinet, and blankets lost heat quickly over time. We recommend warming cotton blankets in cabinets set at 200°F or less to improve thermal comfort without compromising patient safety. Copyright © 2013 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of microsatellites from Fothergilla ×intermedia (Hamamelidaceae) and cross transfer to four other genera within Hamamelidaceae1

PubMed Central

Hatmaker, E. Anne; Wadl, Phillip A.; Mantooth, Kristie; Scheffler, Brian E.; Ownley, Bonnie H.; Trigiano, Robert N.

2015-01-01

Premise of the study: We developed microsatellites from Fothergilla ×intermedia to establish loci capable of distinguishing species and cultivars, and to assess genetic diversity for use by ornamental breeders and to transfer within Hamamelidaceae. Methods and Results: We sequenced a small insert genomic library enriched for microsatellites to develop 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci. The number of alleles detected ranged from four to 15 across five genera within Hamamelidaceae. Shannon’s information index ranged from 0.07 to 0.14. Conclusions: These microsatellite loci provide a set of markers to evaluate genetic diversity of natural and cultivated collections and assist ornamental plant breeders for genetic studies of five popular genera of woody ornamental plants. PMID:25909044

A model for wind-extension of the Copernicus ejecta blanket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rehfuss, D. E.; Michael, D.; Anselmo, J. C.; Kincheloe, N. K.

1977-01-01

The interaction between crater ejecta and the transient wind from impact-shock vaporization is discussed. Based partly on Shoemaker's (1962) ballistic model of the Copernicus ejecta and partly on Rehfuss' (1972) treatment of lunar winds, a simple model is developed which indicates that if Copernicus were formed by a basaltic meteorite impacting at 20 km/s, then 3% of the ejecta mass would be sent beyond the maximum range expected from purely ballistic trajectories. That 3% mass would, however, shift the position of the outer edge of the ejecta blanket more than 400% beyond the edge of the ballistic blanket. For planetary bodies lacking an intrinsic atmosphere, the present model indicates that this form of hyperballistic transport can be very significant for small (no more than about 1 kg) ejecta fragments.

Weighted blankets and sleep in autistic children--a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Gringras, Paul; Green, Dido; Wright, Barry; Rush, Carla; Sparrowhawk, Masako; Pratt, Karen; Allgar, Victoria; Hooke, Naomi; Moore, Danielle; Zaiwalla, Zenobia; Wiggs, Luci

2014-08-01

To assess the effectiveness of a weighted-blanket intervention in treating severe sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This phase III trial was a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design. Participants were aged between 5 years and 16 years 10 months, with a confirmed ASD diagnosis and severe sleep problems, refractory to community-based interventions. The interventions were either a commercially available weighted blanket or otherwise identical usual weight blanket (control), introduced at bedtime; each was used for a 2-week period before crossover to the other blanket. Primary outcome was total sleep time (TST) recorded by actigraphy over each 2-week period. Secondary outcomes included actigraphically recorded sleep-onset latency, sleep efficiency, assessments of child behavior, family functioning, and adverse events. Sleep was also measured by using parent-report diaries. Seventy-three children were randomized and analysis conducted on 67 children who completed the study. Using objective measures, the weighted blanket, compared with the control blanket, did not increase TST as measured by actigraphy and adjusted for baseline TST. There were no group differences in any other objective or subjective measure of sleep, including behavioral outcomes. On subjective preference measures, parents and children favored the weighted blanket. The use of a weighted blanket did not help children with ASD sleep for a longer period of time, fall asleep significantly faster, or wake less often. However, the weighted blanket was favored by children and parents, and blankets were well tolerated over this period. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Off-line commissioning of EBIS and plans for its integration into ATLAS and CARIBU.

PubMed

Ostroumov, P N; Barcikowski, A; Dickerson, C A; Mustapha, B; Perry, A; Sharamentov, S I; Vondrasek, R C; Zinkann, G

2016-02-01

An Electron Beam Ion Source Charge Breeder (EBIS-CB) has been developed at Argonne to breed radioactive beams from the CAlifornium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) facility at Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS). The EBIS-CB will replace the existing ECR charge breeder to increase the intensity and significantly improve the purity of reaccelerated radioactive ion beams. The CARIBU EBIS-CB has been successfully commissioned offline with an external singly charged cesium ion source. The performance of the EBIS fully meets the specifications to breed rare isotope beams delivered from CARIBU. The EBIS is being relocated and integrated into ATLAS and CARIBU. A long electrostatic beam transport system including two 180° bends in the vertical plane has been designed. The commissioning of the EBIS and the beam transport system in their permanent location will start at the end of this year.

Off-line commissioning of EBIS and plans for its integration into ATLAS and CARIBU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostroumov, P. N.; Barcikowski, A.; Dickerson, C. A.; Mustapha, B.; Perry, A.; Sharamentov, S. I.; Vondrasek, R. C.; Zinkann, G.

2016-02-01

An Electron Beam Ion Source Charge Breeder (EBIS-CB) has been developed at Argonne to breed radioactive beams from the CAlifornium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) facility at Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS). The EBIS-CB will replace the existing ECR charge breeder to increase the intensity and significantly improve the purity of reaccelerated radioactive ion beams. The CARIBU EBIS-CB has been successfully commissioned offline with an external singly charged cesium ion source. The performance of the EBIS fully meets the specifications to breed rare isotope beams delivered from CARIBU. The EBIS is being relocated and integrated into ATLAS and CARIBU. A long electrostatic beam transport system including two 180° bends in the vertical plane has been designed. The commissioning of the EBIS and the beam transport system in their permanent location will start at the end of this year.

An investigation into the feasibility of thorium fuels utilization in seed-blanket configurations for TRIGA PUSPATI Reactor (RTP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damahuri, Abdul Hannan Bin; Mohamed, Hassan; Aziz Mohamed, Abdul; Idris, Faridah

2018-01-01

Thorium is one of the elements that needs to be explored for nuclear fuel research and development. One of the popular core configurations of thorium fuel is seed-blanket configuration or also known as Radkowsky Thorium Fuel concept. The seed will act as a supplier of neutrons, which will be placed inside of the core. The blanket, on the other hand, is the consumer of neutrons that is located at outermost of the core. In this work, a neutronic analysis of seed-blanket configuration for the TRIGA PUSPATI Reactor (RTP) is carried out using Monte Carlo method. The reactor, which has been operated since 1982 use uranium zirconium hydride (U-ZrH1.6) as the fuel and have multiple uranium weight which are 8.5, 12 and 20 wt.%. The pool type reactor is one and only research reactor that located in Malaysia. The design of core included the Uranium Zirconium Hydride located at the centre of the core that will act as the seed to supply neutron. The thorium oxide that will act as blanket situated outside of seed region will receive neutron to transmute 232Th to 233U. The neutron multiplication factor or criticality of each configuration is estimated. Results show that the highest initial criticality achieved is 1.30153.

DNA labelling of varieties covered by patent protection: a new solution for managing intellectual property rights in the seed industry.

PubMed

Fister, Karin; Fister, Iztok; Murovec, Jana; Bohanec, Borut

2017-02-01

Plant breeders' rights are undergoing dramatic changes due to changes in patent rights in terms of plant variety rights protection. Although differences in the interpretation of »breeder's exemption«, termed research exemption in the 1991 UPOV, did exist in the past in some countries, allowing breeders to use protected varieties as parents in the creation of new varieties of plants, current developments brought about by patenting conventionally bred varieties with the European Patent Office (such as EP2140023B1) have opened new challenges. Legal restrictions on germplasm availability are therefore imposed on breeders while, at the same time, no practical information on how to distinguish protected from non-protected varieties is given. We propose here a novel approach that would solve this problem by the insertion of short DNA stretches (labels) into protected plant varieties by genetic transformation. This information will then be available to breeders by a simple and standardized procedure. We propose that such a procedure should consist of using a pair of universal primers that will generate a sequence in a PCR reaction, which can be read and translated into ordinary text by a computer application. To demonstrate the feasibility of such approach, we conducted a case study. Using the Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation protocol, we inserted a stretch of DNA code into Nicotiana benthamiana. We also developed an on-line application that enables coding of any text message into DNA nucleotide code and, on sequencing, decoding it back into text. In the presented case study, a short command line coding the phrase »Hello world« was transformed into a DNA sequence that was inserted in the plant genome. The encoded message was reconstructed from the resulting T1 seedlings with 100 % accuracy. The feasibility and possible other applications of this approach are discussed.

Territory inheritance in clownfish.

PubMed Central

Buston, Peter M

2004-01-01

Animal societies composed of breeders and non-breeders present a challenge to evolutionary theory because it is not immediately apparent how natural selection can preserve the genes that underlie non-breeding strategies. The clownfish Amphiprion percula forms groups composed of a breeding pair and 0-4 non-breeders. Non-breeders gain neither present direct, nor present indirect benefits from the association. To determine whether non-breeders obtain future direct benefits, I investigated the pattern of territory inheritance. I show that non-breeders stand to inherit the territory within which they reside. Moreover, they form a perfect queue for breeding positions; a queue from which nobody disperses and within which nobody contests. I suggest that queuing might be favoured by selection because it confers a higher probability of attaining breeding status than either dispersing or contesting. This study illustrates that, within animal societies, individuals may tolerate non-breeding positions solely because of their potential to realize benefits in the future. PMID:15252999

Territory inheritance in clownfish.

PubMed

Buston, Peter M

2004-05-07

Animal societies composed of breeders and non-breeders present a challenge to evolutionary theory because it is not immediately apparent how natural selection can preserve the genes that underlie non-breeding strategies. The clownfish Amphiprion percula forms groups composed of a breeding pair and 0-4 non-breeders. Non-breeders gain neither present direct, nor present indirect benefits from the association. To determine whether non-breeders obtain future direct benefits, I investigated the pattern of territory inheritance. I show that non-breeders stand to inherit the territory within which they reside. Moreover, they form a perfect queue for breeding positions; a queue from which nobody disperses and within which nobody contests. I suggest that queuing might be favoured by selection because it confers a higher probability of attaining breeding status than either dispersing or contesting. This study illustrates that, within animal societies, individuals may tolerate non-breeding positions solely because of their potential to realize benefits in the future.

Thin Thermal-Insulation Blankets for Very High Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, Michael K.

2003-01-01

Thermal-insulation blankets of a proposed type would be exceptionally thin and would endure temperatures up to 2,100 C. These blankets were originally intended to protect components of the NASA Solar Probe spacecraft against radiant heating at its planned closest approach to the Sun (a distance of 4 solar radii). These blankets could also be used on Earth to provide thermal protection in special applications (especially in vacuum chambers) for which conventional thermal-insulation blankets would be too thick or would not perform adequately.

RELAP5 Model of the First Wall/Blanket Primary Heat Transfer System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Popov, Emilian L; Yoder Jr, Graydon L; Kim, Seokho H

2010-06-01

ITER inductive power operation is modeled and simulated using a system level computer code to evaluate the behavior of the Primary Heat Transfer System (PHTS) and predict parameter operational ranges. The control algorithm strategy and derivation are summarized in this report as well. A major feature of ITER is pulsed operation. The plasma does not burn continuously, but the power is pulsed with large periods of zero power between pulses. This feature requires active temperature control to maintain a constant blanket inlet temperature and requires accommodation of coolant thermal expansion during the pulse. In view of the transient nature ofmore » the power (plasma) operation state a transient system thermal-hydraulics code was selected: RELAP5. The code has a well-documented history for nuclear reactor transient analyses, it has been benchmarked against numerous experiments, and a large user database of commonly accepted modeling practices exists. The process of heat deposition and transfer in the blanket modules is multi-dimensional and cannot be accurately captured by a one-dimensional code such as RELAP5. To resolve this, a separate CFD calculation of blanket thermal power evolution was performed using the 3-D SC/Tetra thermofluid code. A 1D-3D co-simulation more realistically models FW/blanket internal time-dependent thermal inertia while eliminating uncertainties in the time constant assumed in a 1-D system code. Blanket water outlet temperature and heat release histories for any given ITER pulse operation scenario are calculated. These results provide the basis for developing time dependent power forcing functions which are used as input in the RELAP5 calculations.« less

Effect of dietary canthaxanthin and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol supplementation on the performance of duck breeders under two different vitamin regimens.

PubMed

Ren, Zhouzheng; Jiang, Shizhen; Zeng, Qiufeng; Ding, Xuemei; Bai, Shiping; Wang, Jianping; Luo, Yuheng; Su, Zhuowei; Xuan, Yue; Yao, Bing; Cisneros, Fernando; Zhang, Keying

2016-01-01

Dietary canthaxanthin (CX), 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D 3 ) and vitamins have been widely reported to be involved in productive and reproductive performance of broiler breeders. However, limited information is available for duck breeders. In this study, a total of 1,560 Cherry Valley SM3 duck breeder females and 312 males were used to assess if the addition of CX and 25-OH-D3 could increase the performance of duck breeders under two different dietary vitamin regimens. Four diets were used under a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 2 kinds of vitamin premixes (REGULAR and HIGH; HIGH premix had higher levels of all vitamins except K3 than REGULAR premix), and with or without the supplementation of the mixture of CX (6 mg/kg) and 25-OH-D3 (0.069 mg/kg). The ducks were fed ad libitum with pelleted diets based on corn-soybean meal from 38 to 77 wk of age. HIGH vitamin premix decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level (P < 0.001) of egg yolk, increased hatchability of fertile eggs (P = 0.029), increased hatchability of total eggs (P = 0.029), and decreased serum protein carbonyl level (P = 0.037) of breeder males. The mixture of CX and 25-OH-D3 increased serum calcium of breeder females (P = 0.010), decreased the cracked egg rate (P = 0.001), increased the pigmentation of egg yolk (P < 0.001) and male bill (P < 0.001), and decreased MDA level of egg yolk (P < 0.001) and male serum (P = 0.034). Interactive effects were observed in cracked egg rate (P = 0.038), shell thickness (P = 0.011) and serum phosphorus (P = 0.026) of breeder females. HIGH vitamin premix together with the mixture of CX and 25-OH-D3 decreased cracked egg rate and increased shell thickness of duck breeders. Serum phosphorus was decreased in duck breeder females fed REGULAR vitamin premix without the addition of the CX and 25-OH-D3 mixture. Dietary HIGH vitamin premix increased antioxidant status of eggs and breeder males, and increased hatchability. The mixture of CX and 25-OH-D3 enhanced egg shell quality, and promoted pigmentation and antioxidant status of eggs and breeder males.

Space Station WP-2 application of LDEF MLI results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Charles A.; Hasegawa, Mark M.; Jones, Cherie A.

1993-01-01

The Cascaded Variable Conductance Heat Pipe Experiment, which was developed by Michael Grote of McDonnell Douglas Electronic Systems Company, was located in Tray F-9 of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), where it received atomic oxygen almost normal to its surface. The majority of the tray was covered by aluminized Kapton polyimide multilayer insulation (MLI), which showed substantial changes from atomic oxygen erosion. Most of the outermost Kapton layer of the MLI and the polyester scrim cloth under it were lost, and there was evidence of contaminant deposition which discolored the edges of the MLI blanket. Micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MM/OD) hits caused small rips in the MLI layers, and in some cases left cloudy areas where the vapor plume caused by a hit condensed on the next layer. The MLI was bent gradually through 90 deg at the edges to enclose the experiment, and the Kapton that survived along the curved portion showed the effects of atomic oxygen erosion at oblique angles. In spite of space environment effects over the period of the LDEF mission, the MLI blanket remained functional. The results of the analysis of LDEF MLI were used in developing the standard MLI blanket for Space Station Work Package-2 (WP-2). This blanket is expected to last 30 years when exposed to the low Earth orbit (LEO) environment constituents of atomic oxygen and MM/OD, which are the most damaging to MLI materials. The WP-2 standard blanket consists of an outer cover made from Beta-cloth glass fiber fabric which is aluminized on the interior surface, and an inner cover of 0.076-mm (0.003-in) double-side-aluminized perforated Kapton. The inner reflector layers are 0.0076-mm (0.0003-in) double-side aluminized, perforated Kapton separated by layers of Dacron polyester fabric. The outer cover was selected to be resistant to the LEO environment and durable enough to survive in orbit for 30 years. This paper describes the analyses of the LDEF MLI results, and how these results contributed to the selection of the WP-2 MLI blanket materials and configuration.

Charge breeding of radioactive isotopes at the CARIBU facility with an electron beam ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vondrasek, R. C.; Dickerson, C. A.; Hendricks, M.; Ostroumov, P.; Pardo, R.; Savard, G.; Scott, R.; Zinkann, G.

2018-05-01

An Electron Beam Ion Source Charge Breeder (EBIS-CB) has been developed at Argonne National Laboratory as part of the californium rare ion breeder upgrade. For the past year, the EBIS-CB has been undergoing commissioning as part of the ATLAS accelerator complex. It has delivered both stable and radioactive beams with A/Q < 6, breeding times <30 ms, low background contamination, and charge breeding efficiencies >18% into a single charge state. The operation of this device, challenges during the commissioning phase, and future improvements will be discussed.

The CANDU Reactor System: An Appropriate Technology.

PubMed

Robertson, J A

1978-02-10

CANDU power reactors are characterized by the combination of heavy water as moderator and pressure tubes to contain the fuel and coolant. Their excellent neutron economy provides the simplicity and low costs of once-through natural-uranium fueling. Future benefits include the prospect of a near-breeder thorium fuel cycle to provide security of fuel supply without the need to develop a new reactor such as the fast breeder. These and other features make the CANDU system an appropriate technology for countries, like Canada, of intermediate economic and industrial capacity.

Effects of individual quality, reproductive success and environmental variability on survival of a long-lived seabird.

PubMed

Lescroël, Amélie; Dugger, Katie M; Ballard, Grant; Ainley, David G

2009-07-01

1. Heterogeneity in individual quality (i.e. individuals having different performance levels that are consistent throughout life) can drive the demography of iteroparous species, but quality in the context of environmental variability has rarely been evaluated. 2. We investigated the demographic responses of a long-lived seabird, the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), to contrasting environmental conditions as a function of reproductive success, breeding quality (BQ) and experience. A continuous index of BQ (BQI) was developed to reflect an individual's ability, relative to others, to produce viable offspring. 3. First, we assessed the relative importance of costs of reproduction vs. heterogeneity in quality by comparing survival and reproductive probabilities among deferred, successful and unsuccessful breeders under 'demanding' conditions using multistate capture-mark-recapture modelling. Then, we quantified the influence of BQI on adult survival among experienced breeders vs. the whole study population under both 'normal' and 'demanding' conditions. 4. Higher survival rates were exhibited by successful (74-76%) compared to unsuccessful breeders (64%); the former also more frequently reproduced successfully at year t + 1. 5. From 1997 to 2006, adult survival ranged from 64-79%, with BQI accounting for 91% of variability in the entire study population, but only 17% in experienced breeders. The weakened relationship between BQI and survival in experienced breeders supports the theory that selection during the first reproductive event accounts for a more homogeneous pool of experienced breeders. 6. No significant effect of environmental covariates on survival was evident, suggesting that what appeared to be demanding conditions were within the range that could be buffered by this species. 7. For the first time in seabirds, a quadratic relationship between adult survival and BQI showed that adult survival is shaped by both heterogeneity in quality and reproductive costs. Our study confirms that population demographic patterns are affected by factors at the individuals' level (e.g., individual quality) that are obscured at population-scale levels.

Dominant viral pathologies in the extensive and semi-intensive animal breeding and their treatment mode in ethno veterinary medicine in Benin.

PubMed

Kpodékon, T M; Ogni, C A; Dassou, H; Dougnon, T J; Boko, C; Koutinhouin, G B; Goussanou, J S E; Akoegninou, A; Youssao, I

2015-12-01

This study aims to identify the dominant viral animal pathologies and to list the traditional recipes used by the breeders for their treatment. The method of data collection was based on a retrospective survey. Thus, 787 breeders and agro-breeders scattered in the eight agro-ecological areas of Benin were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. In total, 5 pathologies were reported by breeders. Among those pathologies, foot and mouth disease was reported by all of the breeders of the southern part of Borgou compared with the other areas (p<0.05) and treated by 25 species of medicinal plants. African swine fever was the main pathology reported (22.92%) (p<0.05) in the fishery areas which is controlled by 7 medicinal plants. Pseudorinderpest was more reported (33.78%) (p<0.05) in the cotton area of central Benin and treated by 8 medicinal plants. There is also Newcastle disease that was mostly reported in the Western Atacora and treated by 32 medicinal plants as well as fowl pox which was a more reported in the lands of the bar area and the low-pressure area about 34.48% and 36.17% proportions, respectively, and treated by eight medicinal plants. The breeders in Benin possess rich ethno veterinary knowledge on medicinal plants and their uses in the treatment of livestock. A total of 57 medicinal plants have been inventoried to fight against five major viral diseases as African swine fever, pseudorinderpest and foot and mouth disease. The common plants used to treat viral disease in general were Euphorbia unispina, Euphorbia poissonii, Lannea acida, and Mangifera indica. The most harvested organs on the plants reported in this survey were the barks, the leaves, and the whole plants. To better develop our indigenous resources, it would be important to expand this ethno-pharmacological investigation to other diseases category.

Dominant viral pathologies in the extensive and semi-intensive animal breeding and their treatment mode in ethno veterinary medicine in Benin

PubMed Central

Kpodékon, T. M.; Ogni, C. A.; Dassou, H.; Dougnon, T. J.; Boko, C.; Koutinhouin, G. B.; Goussanou, J. S. E.; Akoegninou, A.; Youssao, I.

2015-01-01

Aim: This study aims to identify the dominant viral animal pathologies and to list the traditional recipes used by the breeders for their treatment. Materials and Methods: The method of data collection was based on a retrospective survey. Thus, 787 breeders and agro-breeders scattered in the eight agro-ecological areas of Benin were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Results: In total, 5 pathologies were reported by breeders. Among those pathologies, foot and mouth disease was reported by all of the breeders of the southern part of Borgou compared with the other areas (p<0.05) and treated by 25 species of medicinal plants. African swine fever was the main pathology reported (22.92%) (p<0.05) in the fishery areas which is controlled by 7 medicinal plants. Pseudorinderpest was more reported (33.78%) (p<0.05) in the cotton area of central Benin and treated by 8 medicinal plants. There is also Newcastle disease that was mostly reported in the Western Atacora and treated by 32 medicinal plants as well as fowl pox which was a more reported in the lands of the bar area and the low-pressure area about 34.48% and 36.17% proportions, respectively, and treated by eight medicinal plants. Conclusion: The breeders in Benin possess rich ethno veterinary knowledge on medicinal plants and their uses in the treatment of livestock. A total of 57 medicinal plants have been inventoried to fight against five major viral diseases as African swine fever, pseudorinderpest and foot and mouth disease. The common plants used to treat viral disease in general were Euphorbia unispina, Euphorbia poissonii, Lannea acida, and Mangifera indica. The most harvested organs on the plants reported in this survey were the barks, the leaves, and the whole plants. To better develop our indigenous resources, it would be important to expand this ethno-pharmacological investigation to other diseases category. PMID:27047056

Management of horses with focus on blanketing and clipping practices reported by members of the Swedish and Norwegian equestrian community.

PubMed

Hartmann, E; Bøe, K E; Jørgensen, G H M; Mejdell, C M; Dahlborn, K

2017-03-01

Limited information is available on the extent to which blankets are used on horses and the owners' reasoning behind clipping the horse's coat. Research on the effects of those practices on horse welfare is scarce but results indicate that blanketing and clipping may not be necessary from the horse's perspective and can interfere with the horse's thermoregulatory capacities. Therefore, this survey collected robust, quantitative data on the housing routines and management of horses with focus on blanketing and clipping practices as reported by members of the Swedish and Norwegian equestrian community. Horse owners were approached via an online survey, which was distributed to equestrian organizations and social media. Data from 4,122 Swedish and 2,075 Norwegian respondents were collected, of which 91 and 84% of respondents, respectively, reported using blankets on horses during turnout. Almost all respondents owning warmblood riding horses used blankets outdoors (97% in Sweden and 96% in Norway) whereas owners with Icelandic horses and coldblood riding horses used blankets significantly less ( < 0.05). Blankets were mainly used during rainy, cold, or windy weather conditions and in ambient temperatures of 10°C and below. The horse's coat was clipped by 67% of respondents in Sweden and 35% of Norwegian respondents whereby owners with warmblood horses and horses primarily used for dressage and competition reported clipping the coat most frequently. In contrast to scientific results indicating that recovery time after exercise increases with blankets and that clipped horses have a greater heat loss capacity, only around 50% of respondents agreed to these statements. This indicates that evidence-based information on all aspects of blanketing and clipping has not yet been widely distributed in practice. More research is encouraged, specifically looking at the effect of blankets on sweaty horses being turned out after intense physical exercise and the effect of blankets on social interactions such as mutual grooming. Future efforts should be tailored to disseminate knowledge more efficiently, which can ultimately stimulate thoughtful decision-making by horse owners concerning the use of blankets and clipping the horse's coat.

Neutronics Design of a Thorium-Fueled Fission Blanket for LIFE (Laser Inertial Fusion-based Energy)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Powers, J; Abbott, R; Fratoni, M

The Laser Inertial Fusion-based Energy (LIFE) project at LLNL includes development of hybrid fusion-fission systems for energy generation. These hybrid LIFE engines use high-energy neutrons from laser-based inertial confinement fusion to drive a subcritical blanket of fission fuel that surrounds the fusion chamber. The fission blanket contains TRISO fuel particles packed into pebbles in a flowing bed geometry cooled by a molten salt (flibe). LIFE engines using a thorium fuel cycle provide potential improvements in overall fuel cycle performance and resource utilization compared to using depleted uranium (DU) and may minimize waste repository and proliferation concerns. A preliminary engine designmore » with an initial loading of 40 metric tons of thorium can maintain a power level of 2000 MW{sub th} for about 55 years, at which point the fuel reaches an average burnup level of about 75% FIMA. Acceptable performance was achieved without using any zero-flux environment 'cooling periods' to allow {sup 233}Pa to decay to {sup 233}U; thorium undergoes constant irradiation in this LIFE engine design to minimize proliferation risks and fuel inventory. Vast reductions in end-of-life (EOL) transuranic (TRU) inventories compared to those produced by a similar uranium system suggest reduced proliferation risks. Decay heat generation in discharge fuel appears lower for a thorium LIFE engine than a DU engine but differences in radioactive ingestion hazard are less conclusive. Future efforts on development of thorium-fueled LIFE fission blankets engine development will include design optimization, fuel performance analysis work, and further waste disposal and nonproliferation analyses.« less

Age, sex and social influences on adult survival in the cooperatively breeding Karoo Scrub-robin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lloyd, Penn; Martin, Thomas E.; Taylor, Andrew; Braae, Anne; Altwegg, Res

2016-01-01

Among cooperatively breeding species, helpers are hypothesised to increase the survival of breeders by reducing breeder workload in offspring care and increased group vigilance against predators. Furthermore, parental nepotism or other benefits of group living may provide a survival benefit to young that delay dispersal to help. We tested these hypotheses in the Karoo Scrub-robin (Cercotrichas coryphaeus), a long-lived, and facultative cooperatively breeding species in which male helpers make substantial contributions to the care of young. We found that annual breeder survival in the presence of helpers did not differ detectably from breeders without helpers or breeders that lost helpers. Furthermore, helpers did not gain a survival benefit from deferred breeding; apparent survival did not differ detectably between male helpers and male breeders followed from one year old. These results are consistent with other studies suggesting a lack of adult survival benefits among species where breeders do not substantially reduce workloads when helpers are present. They are also consistent with the hypothesis that males that delay dispersal make the ‘best of a bad job’ by helping on their natal territory to gain indirect fitness benefits when they are unable to obtain a territory vacancy nearby.

Allo-parental care in Damaraland mole-rats is female biased and age dependent, though independent of testosterone levels.

PubMed

Zöttl, Markus; Vullioud, Philippe; Goddard, Katy; Torrents-Ticó, Miquel; Gaynor, David; Bennett, Nigel C; Clutton-Brock, Tim

2018-05-02

In Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), non-breeding subordinates contribute to the care of offspring born to the breeding pair in their group by carrying and retrieving young to the nest. In social mole-rats and some cooperative breeders, dominant females show unusually high testosterone levels and it has been suggested that high testosterone levels may increase reproductive and aggressive behavior and reduce investment in allo-parental and parental care, generating age and state-dependent variation in behavior. Here we show that, in Damaraland mole-rats, allo-parental care in males and females is unaffected by experimental increases in testosterone levels. Pup carrying decreases with age of the non-breeding helper while the change in social status from non-breeder to breeder has contrasting effects in the two sexes. Female breeders were more likely than female non-breeders to carry pups but male breeders were less likely to carry pups than male non-breeders, increasing the sex bias in parental care compared to allo-parental care. Our results indicate that testosterone is unlikely to be an important regulator of allo-parental care in mole-rats. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

75 FR 38459 - Certain Woven Electric Blankets From the People's Republic of China: Final Determination of Sales...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-02

... Industries (``Perfect Fit''), a U.S. importer of knitted electric blankets, submitted comments on the scope... investigation to include the following two statements: (1) ``knitted electric blankets in any form, whether... acknowledged that knitted electric blankets and electric mattress pads are not within the scope of the U.S...

Ceramic insulation/multifoil composite for thermal protection of reentry spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pitts, W. C.; Kourtides, D. A.

1989-01-01

A new type of insulation blanket called Composite Flexible Blanket Insulation is proposed for thermal protection of advanced spacecraft in regions where the maximum temperature is not excessive. The blanket is a composite of two proven insulation materials: ceramic insulation blankets from Space Shuttle technology and multilayer insulation blankets from spacecraft thermal control technology. A potential heatshield weight saving of up to 500 g/sq m is predicted. The concept is described; proof of concept experimental data are presented; and a spaceflight experiment to demonstrate its actual performance is discussed.

Packed fluidized bed blanket for fusion reactor

DOEpatents

Chi, John W. H.

1984-01-01

A packed fluidized bed blanket for a fusion reactor providing for efficient radiation absorption for energy recovery, efficient neutron absorption for nuclear transformations, ease of blanket removal, processing and replacement, and on-line fueling/refueling. The blanket of the reactor contains a bed of stationary particles during reactor operation, cooled by a radial flow of coolant. During fueling/refueling, an axial flow is introduced into the bed in stages at various axial locations to fluidize the bed. When desired, the fluidization flow can be used to remove particles from the blanket.

KSC-04pd0620

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Thermal Protection System Facility, Pilar Ryan, with United Space Alliance, stitches a piece of insulation blanket for Atlantis. In the foreground is a ring inside of which the blankets will be sewn to fit in the orbiter's nose cap. The blankets consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance.

A New Fire Hazard for MR Imaging Systems: Blankets-Case Report.

PubMed

Bertrand, Anne; Brunel, Sandrine; Habert, Marie-Odile; Soret, Marine; Jaffre, Simone; Capeau, Nicolas; Bourseul, Laetitia; Dufour-Claude, Isabelle; Kas, Aurélie; Dormont, Didier

2018-02-01

In this report, a case of fire in a positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system due to blanket combustion is discussed. Manufacturing companies routinely use copper fibers for blanket fabrication, and these fibers may remain within the blanket hem. By folding a blanket with these copper fibers within an MR imaging system, one can create an electrical current loop with a major risk of local excessive heating, burn injury, and fire. This hazard applies to all MR imaging systems. Hybrid PET/MR imaging systems may be particularly vulnerable to this situation, because blankets are commonly used for fluorodeoxyglucose PET to maintain a normal body temperature and to avoid fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in brown adipose tissue. © RSNA, 2017.

Perforating Thin Metal Sheets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidson, M. E.

1985-01-01

Sheets only few mils thick bonded together, punched, then debonded. Three-step process yields perforated sheets of metal. (1): Individual sheets bonded together to form laminate. (2): laminate perforated in desired geometric pattern. (3): After baking, laminate separates into individual sheets. Developed for fabricating conductive layer on blankets that collect and remove ions; however, perforated foils have other applications - as conductive surfaces on insulating materials; stiffeners and conductors in plastic laminates; reflectors in antenna dishes; supports for thermal blankets; lightweight grille cover materials; and material for mockup of components.

IgM antiavian antibodies in sera from patients with pigeon breeder's disease.

PubMed

Martínez-Cordero, E; Aguilar León, D E; Retana, V N

2000-01-01

The authors' objective was to study the presence of IgM antiavian antibodies in sera from patients with pigeon breeder's disease. We studied 93 patients with interstitial lung disease admitted for the assessment of pigeon breeder's disease. Eighty sera from healthy donors with no history of bird contact and 47 asymptomatic pigeon breeders were included as controls. The presence of IgM, IgG, and IgA antiavian antibodies was detected by ELISA and Western blot using avian-pooled serum antigen. Fifty-three patients were classified as having definite pigeon breeder's disease, whereas 40 did not fulfill these diagnostic criteria. The levels of IgM antiavian-antibodies in pigeon breeder's disease by ELISA exceeded both the values of healthy subjects with no history of avian contact (P = 2.5 x 10(-8)) and the results of asymptomatic breeders (P = 0. 03). Positive IgA antiavian antibodies were the most frequent abnormalities in pigeon breeder's disease showing values over the reference levels of control groups that reach significant statistical differences. Both precipitin-positive and -negative samples demonstrated IgM reactivity. IgM antiavian antibodies were confirmed by Western blot. A relationship of IgM positive tests with a recent history of avian antigen exposure and acute disease was found. Additionally, the positive IgM group included patients having subacute and chronic lung disease. Antiavian antibodies have previously been considered of minor significance in hypersensitivity pneumonitis; nevertheless, recent studies support their use in clinical diagnosis. Although no specific laboratory tests can confirm the diagnosis in pigeon breeder's disease, IgM antiavian antibodies may be useful for detecting recent antigen exposure and the acute stage of the disease. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Development of the cascade inertial-confinement-fusion reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pitts, J.H.

Caqscade, originally conceived as a football-shaped, steel-walled reactor containing a Li/sub 2/O granule blanket, is now envisaged as a double-cone-shaped reactor containing a two-layered (three-zone) flowing blanket of BeO and LiAlO/sub 2/ granules. Average blanket exit temperature is 1670 K and gross plant efficiency (net thermal conversion efficiency) using a Brayton cycle is 55%. The reactor has a low-activation SiC-tiled wall. It rotates at 50 rpm, and the granules are transported to the top of the heat exchanger using their peripheral speed; no conveyors or lifts are required. The granules return to the reactor by gravity. After considerable analysis andmore » experimentation, we continue to regard Cascade as a promising reactor concept with the advantages of safety, efficiency, and low activation.« less

Development of the cascade inertial-confinement-fusion reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pitts, J.H.

Cascade, originally conceived as a football-shaped, steel-walled reactor containing a Li/sub 2/O granule blanket, is now envisaged as a double-cone-shaped reactor containing a two-layered (three-zone) flowing blanket of BeO and LiAlO/sub 2/ granules. Average blanket exit temperature is 1670/sup 0/K and gross plant efficiency (net thermal conversion efficiency) using a Brayton cycle is 55%. The reactor has a low-activation SiC-tiled wall. It rotates at 50 rpm, and the granules are transported to the top of the heat exchanger using their peripheral speed; no conveyors or lifts are required. The granules return to the reactor by gravity. After considerable analysis andmore » experimentation, we continue to regard Cascade as a promising reactor concept with the advantages of safety, efficiency, and low activation.« less

Nuclear reactor composite fuel assembly

DOEpatents

Burgess, Donn M.; Marr, Duane R.; Cappiello, Michael W.; Omberg, Ronald P.

1980-01-01

A core and composite fuel assembly for a liquid-cooled breeder nuclear reactor including a plurality of elongated coextending driver and breeder fuel elements arranged to form a generally polygonal bundle within a thin-walled duct. The breeder elements are larger in cross section than the driver elements, and each breeder element is laterally bounded by a number of the driver elements. Each driver element further includes structure for spacing the driver elements from adjacent fuel elements and, where adjacent, the thin-walled duct. A core made up of the fuel elements can advantageously include fissile fuel of only one enrichment, while varying the effective enrichment of any given assembly or core region, merely by varying the relative number and size of the driver and breeder elements.

The interaction between reproductive cost and individual quality is mediated by oceanic conditions in a long-lived bird.

PubMed

Robert, Alexandre; Paiva, Vitor H; Bolton, Mark; Jiguet, Frédéric; Bried, Joël

2012-08-01

Environmental variability, costs of reproduction, and heterogeneity in individual quality are three important sources of the temporal and interindividual variations in vital rates of wild populations. Based on an 18-year monitoring of an endangered, recently described, long-lived seabird, Monteiro's Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma monteiroi), we designed multistate survival models to separate the effects of the reproductive cost (breeders vs. nonbreeders) and individual quality (successful vs. unsuccessful breeders) in relation to temporally variable demographic and oceanographic properties. The analysis revealed a gradient of individual quality from nonbreeders, to unsuccessful breeders, to successful breeders. The survival rates of unsuccessful breeders (0.90 +/- 0.023, mean +/- SE) tended to decrease in years of high average breeding success and were more sensitive to oceanographic variation than those of both (high-quality) successful breeders (0.97 +/- 0.015) and (low-quality) nonbreeders (0.83 +/- 0.028). Overall, our results indicate that reproductive costs act on individuals of intermediate quality and are mediated by environmental harshness.

Molecular characterization of chicken infectious anemia viruses detected from breeder and broiler chickens in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, H-R; Kwon, Y-K; Bae, Y-C; Oem, J-K; Lee, O-S

2010-11-01

In South Korea, 32 sequences of chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) from various flocks of breeder and commercial chickens were genetically characterized for the first time. Phylogenetic analysis of the viral protein 1 gene, including a hypervariable region of the CIAV genome, indicated that Korean CIAV strains were separated into groups II, IIIa, and IIIb. Strains were commonly identified in great-grandparent and grandparent breeder farms as well as commercial chicken farms. In the field, CIAV strains from breeder farms had no clinical effects, but commercial farm strains were associated with depression, growth retardation, and anemia regardless of the group from which the strain originated. In addition, we identified 7 CIAV genomes that were similar to vaccine strains from vaccinated and unvaccinated breeder flocks. These data suggest that further studies on pathogenicity and vaccine efficacy against the different CIAV group are needed, along with continuous CIAV surveillance and genetic analysis at breeder farms.

Silver Teflon blanket: LDEF tray C-08

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crutcher, E. Russ; Nishimura, L. S.; Warner, K. J.; Wascher, W. W.

1992-01-01

A study of the Teflon blanket surface at the edge of tray C-08 illustrates the complexity of the microenvironments on the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). The distribution of particulate contaminants varied dramatically over a distance of half a centimeter (quarter of an inch) near the edge of the blanket. The geometry and optical effects of the atomic oxygen erosion varied significantly over the few centimeters where the blanket folded over the edge of the tray resulting in a variety of orientations to the atomic oxygen flux. A very complex region of combined mechanical and atomic oxygen damage occurred where the blanket contacted the edge of the tray. A brown film deposit apparently fixed by ultraviolet light traveling by reflection through the Teflon film was conspicuous beyond the tray contract zone. Chemical and structural analysis of the surface of the brown film and beyond toward the protected edge of the blanket indicated some penetration of energetic atomic oxygen at least five millimeters past the blanket-tray contact interface.

Comparison of forced-air warming systems with lower body blankets using a copper manikin of the human body.

PubMed

Bräuer, A; English, M J M; Lorenz, N; Steinmetz, N; Perl, T; Braun, U; Weyland, W

2003-01-01

Forced-air warming has gained high acceptance as a measure for the prevention of intraoperative hypothermia. However, data on heat transfer with lower body blankets are not yet available. This study was conducted to determine the heat transfer efficacy of six complete lower body warming systems. Heat transfer of forced-air warmers can be described as follows:[1]Qdot;=h.DeltaT.A where Qdot; = heat transfer [W], h = heat exchange coefficient [W m-2 degrees C-1], DeltaT = temperature gradient between blanket and surface [ degrees C], A = covered area [m2]. We tested the following forced-air warmers in a previously validated copper manikin of the human body: (1) Bair Hugger and lower body blanket (Augustine Medical Inc., Eden Prairie, MN); (2) Thermacare and lower body blanket (Gaymar Industries, Orchard Park, NY); (3) WarmAir and lower body blanket (Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products, Cincinnati, OH); (4) Warm-Gard(R) and lower body blanket (Luis Gibeck AB, Upplands Väsby, Sweden); (5) Warm-Gard and reusable lower body blanket (Luis Gibeck AB); and (6) WarmTouch and lower body blanket (Mallinckrodt Medical Inc., St. Luis, MO). Heat flux and surface temperature were measured with 16 calibrated heat flux transducers. Blanket temperature was measured using 16 thermocouples. DeltaT was varied between -10 and +10 degrees C and h was determined by a linear regression analysis as the slope of DeltaT vs. heat flux. Mean DeltaT was determined for surface temperatures between 36 and 38 degrees C, because similar mean skin temperatures have been found in volunteers. The area covered by the blankets was estimated to be 0.54 m2. Heat transfer from the blanket to the manikin was different for surface temperatures between 36 degrees C and 38 degrees C. At a surface temperature of 36 degrees C the heat transfer was higher (between 13.4 W to 18.3 W) than at surface temperatures of 38 degrees C (8-11.5 W). The highest heat transfer was delivered by the Thermacare system (8.3-18.3 W), the lowest heat transfer was delivered by the Warm-Gard system with the single use blanket (8-13.4 W). The heat exchange coefficient varied between 12.5 W m-2 degrees C-1 and 30.8 W m-2 degrees C-1, mean DeltaT varied between 1.04 degrees C and 2.48 degrees C for surface temperatures of 36 degrees C and between 0.50 degrees C and 1.63 degrees C for surface temperatures of 38 degrees C. No relevant differences in heat transfer of lower body blankets were found between the different forced-air warming systems tested. Heat transfer was lower than heat transfer by upper body blankets tested in a previous study. However, forced-air warming systems with lower body blankets are still more effective than forced-air warming systems with upper body blankets in the prevention of perioperative hypothermia, because they cover a larger area of the body surface.

KSC-04pd0618

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Thermal Protection System Facility, Pilar Ryan, with United Space Alliance, stitches a piece of insulation blanket for Atlantis's nose cap. The blankets consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance.

NUCLEAR REACTOR

DOEpatents

Sherman, J.; Sharbaugh, J.E.; Fauth, W.L. Jr.; Palladino, N.J.; DeHuff, P.G.

1962-10-23

A nuclear reactor incorporating seed and blanket assemblies is designed. Means are provided for obtaining samples of the coolant from the blanket assemblies and for varying the flow of coolant through the blanket assemblies. (AEC)

Storing and Deploying Solar Panels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Browning, D. L.; Stocker, H. M.; Kleidon, E. H.

1982-01-01

Like upward-drawn window shades, solar blankets are unfurled to length of 89m, almost filling opening in 95.59-meter-square frame. When frame is completely assembled, solar blankets are pulled from canisters, one by one by electric motor. A Thin cushion sheet is rolled up with each blanket to cushion solar cells. Sheet is taken up on roller as blanket is unfurled. Unrolling proceeds automatically.

Fission-suppressed fusion breeder on the thorium cycle and nonproliferation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moir, R. W.

2012-06-19

Fusion reactors could be designed to breed fissile material while suppressing fissioning thereby enhancing safety. The produced fuel could be used to startup and makeup fuel for fission reactors. Each fusion reaction can produce typically 0.6 fissile atoms and release about 1.6 times the 14 MeV neutron's energy in the blanket in the fission-suppressed design. This production rate is 2660 kg/1000 MW of fusion power for a year. The revenues would be doubled from such a plant by selling fuel at a price of 60/g and electricity at $0.05/kWh for Q=P{sub fusion}/P{sub input}=4. Fusion reactors could be designed to destroymore » fission wastes by transmutation and fissioning but this is not a natural use of fusion whereas it is a designed use of fission reactors. Fusion could supply makeup fuel to fission reactors that were dedicated to fissioning wastes with some of their neutrons. The design for safety and heat removal and other items is already accomplished with fission reactors. Whereas fusion reactors have geometry that compromises safety with a complex and thin wall separating the fusion zone from the blanket zone where wastes could be destroyed. Nonproliferation can be enhanced by mixing {sup 233}U with {sup 238}U. Also nonproliferation is enhanced in typical fission-suppressed designs by generating up to 0.05 {sup 232}U atoms for each {sup 233}U atom produced from thorium, about twice the IAEA standards of 'reduced protection' or 'self protection.' With 2.4%{sup 232}U, high explosive material is predicted to degrade owing to ionizing radiation after a little over 1/2 year and the heat rate is 77 W just after separation and climbs to over 600 W ten years later. The fissile material can be used to fuel most any fission reactor but is especially appropriate for molten salt reactors (MSR) also called liquid fluoride thorium reactors (LFTR) because of the molten fuel does not need hands on fabrication and handling.« less

Reproductive partitioning and the assumptions of reproductive skew models in the cooperatively breeding American crow

PubMed Central

Townsend, Andrea K.; Clark, Anne B.; McGowan, Kevin J.; Lovette, Irby J.

2009-01-01

Understanding the benefits of cooperative breeding for group members of different social and demographic classes requires knowledge of their reproductive partitioning and genetic relatedness. From 2004-2007, we examined parentage as a function of relatedness and social interactions among members of 21 American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) family groups. Paired female breeders monopolized maternity of all offspring in their broods, whereas paired male breeders sired 82.7% of offspring, within-group auxiliary males sired 6.9% of offspring, and extragroup males sired 10.4% of offspring. Although adult females had fewer opportunities for direct reproduction as auxiliaries than males, they appeared to have earlier opportunities for independent breeding. These different opportunities for direct reproduction probably contributed to the male biased adult auxiliary sex ratio. Patterns of reproductive partitioning and conflict among males were most consistent with a synthetic reproductive skew model, in which auxiliaries struggled with breeders for a limited reproductive share, beyond which breeders could evict them. Counter to a frequent assumption of reproductive skew models, female breeders appeared to influence paternity, although their interests might have agreed with the interests of their paired males. Unusual among cooperative breeders, close inbreeding and incest occurred in this population. Incest avoidance between potential breeders did not significantly affect reproductive skew. PMID:20126287

Analysis and optimization of minor actinides transmutation blankets with regards to neutron and gamma sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kooymana, Timothée; Buiron, Laurent; Rimpault, Gérald

2017-09-01

Heterogeneous loading of minor actinides in radial blankets is a potential solution to implement minor actinides transmutation in fast reactors. However, to compensate for the lower flux level experienced by the blankets, the fraction of minor actinides to be loaded in the blankets must be increased to maintain acceptable performances. This severely increases the decay heat and neutron source of the blanket assemblies, both before and after irradiation, by more than an order of magnitude in the case of neutron source for instance. We propose here to implement an optimization methodology of the blankets design with regards to various parameters such as the local spectrum or the mass to be loaded, with the objective of minimizing the final neutron source of the spent assembly while maximizing the transmutation performances of the blankets. In a first stage, an analysis of the various contributors to long and short term neutron and gamma source is carried out while in a second stage, relevant estimators are designed for use in the effective optimization process, which is done in the last step. A comparison with core calculations is finally done for completeness and validation purposes. It is found that the use of a moderated spectrum in the blankets can be beneficial in terms of final neutron and gamma source without impacting minor actinides transmutation performances compared to more energetic spectrum that could be achieved using metallic fuel for instance. It is also confirmed that, if possible, the use of hydrides as moderating material in the blankets is a promising option to limit the total minor actinides inventory in the fuel cycle. If not, it appears that focus should be put upon an increased residence time for the blankets rather than an increase in the acceptable neutron source for handling and reprocessing.

48 CFR 313.303 - Blanket purchase agreements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Blanket purchase agreements. 313.303 Section 313.303 Federal Acquisition Regulations System HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES....303 Blanket purchase agreements. ...

Wireless, in-vessel neutron monitor for initial core-loading of advanced breeder reactors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delorenzo, J. T.; Kennedy, E. J.; Blalock, T. V.; Rochelle, J. M.; Chiles, M. M.; Valentine, K. H.

1981-01-01

An experimental wireless, in-vessel neutron monitor was developed to measure the reactivity of an advanced breeder reactor as the core is loaded for the first time to preclude an accidental critically incident. The environment is liquid sodium at a temperature of approx. 220 C, with negligible gamma or neutron radiation. With ultrasonic transmission of neutron data, no fundamental limitation was observed after tests at 230 C for 2000 h. The neutron sensitivity was approx. 1 count/s-nv, and the potential data transmission rate was approx. 10,000 counts/s.

Effects of dietary L-arginine on laying performance and antioxidant capacity of broiler breeder hens, eggs, and offspring during the late laying period.

PubMed

Duan, Xiaoxue; Li, Feng; Mou, Shaoyang; Feng, Jiawei; Liu, Peifeng; Xu, Liangmei

2015-12-01

The effects of maternal L-arginine supplementation on laying performance and the antioxidant capacity of broiler breeder hens, egg yolk, and their one-day-old offspring were investigated. In a 9 wk experiment, 210 60-week-old Arbor Acres healthy female broiler breeders were randomly divided into 5 treatments with 6 replicates of 7 females and fed a corn and soybean meal diet with 5 arginine levels (0.96%, 1.16%, 1.36%, 1.56%, and 1.76% digestible arginine). Laying performance and anti-oxidant capacity of broiler breeder hens, eggs, and offspring were evaluated. Digestible arginine level in the broiler breeder diet had a significant effect on the laying rate (linear and quadratic effect, P<0.0001). The highest laying rate was obtained when the diet with 1.36% digestible arginine was fed. There was a significant effect of digestible arginine level in the broiler breeder diet on the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) levels and methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA) concentration in the broiler breeder serum, egg yolk and serum, and liver and breast of one-day-old offspring (linear and quadratic effect, P<0.05). The T-AOC level was highest and the MDA concentration lowest in all tissues when a diet with 1.36% digestible arginine was fed. No difference in glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activity in the broiler breeder serum was observed. There were significant effects of digestible arginine level in the broiler breeder diet on the GSH-PX activity of the egg yolk (linear effect, P<0.01; quadratic effect, P<0.05) and serum, liver, and breast of one-day-old offspring (linear and quadratic effect, P≤0.01). The GSH-PX activity in all tissues measured in this experiment was highest when the dietary digestible arginine was 1.36%. These results indicate that the diet with 1.36% digestible arginine (1,972 mg/d) is optimal to satisfy the nutritional needs of a female broiler breeder during the late laying period.

The effect of low-density broiler breeder diets on performance and immune status of their offspring.

PubMed

Enting, H; Boersma, W J A; Cornelissen, J B W J; van Winden, S C L; Verstegen, M W A; van der Aar, P J

2007-02-01

Effects of low-density broiler breeder diets on offspring performance and mortality were studied using 2,100 female and 210 male Cobb 500 breeders. Breeder treatments involved 4 experimental groups and a control group with normal density diets (ND, 2,600 kcal of AME/kg during rearing and 2,800 kcal of AME/kg during laying). In treatment 2, nutrient densities were decreased by 12% (LD12) and 11% (LD11) during the rearing and laying periods, respectively, whereas in treatment 3, nutrient densities were decreased by 23% (LD23) and 21% (LD21) during the rearing and laying periods, respectively. The nutrient density in these treatments was decreased through inclusion of palm kernel meal, wheat bran, wheat gluten feed, and sunflower seed meal in the diets. Treatment 4 included diets with the same nutrient densities as in treatment 2 but included oats and sugar beet pulp (LD12(OP) and LD11(OP)). In treatment 5, the same low-density diet was given to the breeders as in treatment 2 during the rearing period, but it was followed by a normal density diet during the laying period (LD12-ND). Treatments were applied from 4 to 60 wk of age. On low-density diets, offspring showed an increased 1-d-old weight. As compared with offspring of breeders that received ND, the d 38 live weight of chickens from 29-wk-old breeders fed LD11 was improved. Mortality was reduced in offspring from 60-wk-old parent stock given low-density diets. The IgM titers in 35-d-old offspring from eggs with a lower-than-average weight were reduced when 29-wk-old broiler breeders were fed low-density diets. In offspring from eggs with a higher-than-average weight from 60-wk-old parent stock given LD11 or LD21 diets, IgM titers were higher compared with ND. It was concluded that low-density broiler breeder diets can improve offspring growth rates, reduce mortality, and reduce or increase immune responses, depending on breeder age and egg weight.

Comparison of forced-air warming systems with upper body blankets using a copper manikin of the human body.

PubMed

Bräuer, A; English, M J M; Steinmetz, N; Lorenz, N; Perl, T; Braun, U; Weyland, W

2002-09-01

Forced-air warming with upper body blankets has gained high acceptance as a measure for the prevention of intraoperative hypothermia. However, data on heat transfer with upper body blankets are not yet available. This study was conducted to determine the heat transfer efficacy of eight complete upper body warming systems and to gain more insight into the principles of forced-air warming. Heat transfer of forced-air warmers can be described as follows: Qdot;=h. DeltaT. A, where Qdot;= heat flux [W], h=heat exchange coefficient [W m-2 degrees C-1], DeltaT=temperature gradient between the blanket and surface [ degrees C], and A=covered area [m2]. We tested eight different forced-air warming systems: (1) Bair Hugger and upper body blanket (Augustine Medical Inc. Eden Prairie, MN); (2) Thermacare and upper body blanket (Gaymar Industries, Orchard Park, NY); (3) Thermacare (Gaymar Industries) with reusable Optisan upper body blanket (Willy Rüsch AG, Kernen, Germany); (4) WarmAir and upper body blanket (Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products, Cincinnati, OH); (5) Warm-Gard and single use upper body blanket (Luis Gibeck AB, Upplands Väsby, Sweden); (6) Warm-Gard and reusable upper body blanket (Luis Gibeck AB); (7) WarmTouch and CareDrape upper body blanket (Mallinckrodt Medical Inc., St. Luis, MO); and (8) WarmTouch and reusable MultiCover trade mark upper body blanket (Mallinckrodt Medical Inc.) on a previously validated copper manikin of the human body. Heat flux and surface temperature were measured with 11 calibrated heat flux transducers. Blanket temperature was measured using 11 thermocouples. The temperature gradient between the blanket and surface (DeltaT) was varied between -8 and +8 degrees C, and h was determined by linear regression analysis as the slope of DeltaT vs. heat flux. Mean DeltaT was determined for surface temperatures between 36 and 38 degrees C, as similar mean skin surface temperatures have been found in volunteers. The covered area was estimated to be 0.35 m2. Total heat flow from the blanket to the manikin was different for surface temperatures between 36 and 38 degrees C. At a surface temperature of 36 degrees C the heat flows were higher (4-26.6 W) than at surface temperatures of 38 degrees C (2.6-18.1 W). The highest total heat flow was delivered by the WarmTouch trade mark system with the CareDrape trade mark upper body blanket (18.1-26.6 W). The lowest total heat flow was delivered by the Warm-Gard system with the single use upper body blanket (2.6-4 W). The heat exchange coefficient varied between 15.1 and 36.2 W m-2 degrees C-1, and mean DeltaT varied between 0.5 and 3.3 degrees C. We found total heat flows of 2.6-26.6 W by forced-air warming systems with upper body blankets. However, the changes in heat balance by forced-air warming systems with upper body blankets are larger, as these systems are not only transferring heat to the body but are also reducing heat losses from the covered area to zero. Converting heat losses of approximately 37.8 W to heat gain, results in a 40.4-64.4 W change in heat balance. The differences between the systems result from different heat exchange coefficients and different mean temperature gradients. However, the combination of a high heat exchange coefficient with a high mean temperature gradient is rare. This fact offers some possibility to improve these systems.

Spacecraft thermal blanket cleaning: Vacuum bake of gaseous flow purging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scialdone, John J.

1990-01-01

The mass losses and the outgassing rates per unit area of three thermal blankets consisting of various combinations of Mylar and Kapton, with interposed Dacron nets, were measured with a microbalance using two methods. The blankets at 25 deg C were either outgassed in vacuum for 20 hours, or were purged with a dry nitrogen flow of 3 cu. ft. per hour at 25 deg C for 20 hours. The two methods were compared for their effectiveness in cleaning the blankets for their use in space applications. The measurements were carried out using blanket strips and rolled-up blanket samples fitting the microbalance cylindrical plenum. Also, temperature scanning tests were carried out to indicate the optimum temperature for purging and vacuum cleaning. The data indicate that the purging for 20 hours with the above N2 flow can accomplish the same level of cleaning provided by the vacuum with the blankets at 25 deg C for 20 hours, In both cases, the rate of outgassing after 20 hours is reduced by 3 orders of magnitude, and the weight losses are in the range of 10E-4 gr/sq cm. Equivalent mass loss time constants, regained mass in air as a function of time, and other parameters were obtained for those blankets.

Spacecraft thermal blanket cleaning - Vacuum baking or gaseous flow purging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scialdone, John J.

1992-01-01

The mass losses and the outgassing rates per unit area of three thermal blankets consisting of various combinations of Mylar and Kapton, with interposed Dacron nets, were measured with a microbalance using two methods. The blankets at 25 deg C were either outgassed in vacuum for 20 hours, or were purged with a dry nitrogen flow of 3 cu. ft. per hour at 25 deg C for 20 hours. The two methods were compared for their effectiveness in cleaning the blankets for their use in space applications. The measurements were carried out using blanket strips and rolled-up blanket samples fitting the microbalance cylindrical plenum. Also, temperature scanning tests were carried out to indicate the optimum temperature for purging and vacuum cleaning. The data indicate that the purging for 20 hours with the above N2 flow can accomplish the same level of cleaning provided by the vacuum with the blankets at 25 deg C for 20 hours. In both cases, the rate of outgassing after 20 hours is reduced by 3 orders of magnitude, and the weight losses are in the range of 10E-4 gr/sq cm. Equivalent mass loss time constants, regained mass in air as a function of time, and other parameters were obtained for those blankets.

KSC-04pd0615

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A closeup of the stitching being done on pieces of insulation blankets inside the ring that fits in the nose cap of Discovery. The blankets consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance.

Space Station Freedom solar array containment box mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Mark E.; Haugen, Bert; Anderson, Grant

1994-01-01

Space Station Freedom will feature six large solar arrays, called solar array wings, built by Lockheed Missiles & Space Company under contract to Rockwell International, Rocketdyne Division. Solar cells are mounted on flexible substrate panels which are hinged together to form a 'blanket.' Each wing is comprised of two blankets supported by a central mast, producing approximately 32 kW of power at beginning-of-life. During launch, the blankets are fan-folded and compressed to 1.5 percent of their deployed length into containment boxes. This paper describes the main containment box mechanisms designed to protect, deploy, and retract the solar array blankets: the latch, blanket restraint, tension, and guidewire mechanisms.

KSC-04pd0624

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Damon Petty, with United Space Alliance, removes a piece of insulation blanket from an “oven” after heat cleaning. The blankets fit inside the nose cap of an orbiter. They consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches.

KSC-04pd0626

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Damon Petty, with United Space Alliance, covers another insulation blanket in the “oven” prior to heat cleaning. The blankets fit inside the nose cap of an orbiter. They consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches.

KSC-04pd0623

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Damon Petty, with United Space Alliance, places pieces of insulation blanket into an “oven” for heat cleaning. The blankets fit inside the nose cap of an orbiter. They consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches.

KSC-04pd0628

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Damon Petty, with United Space Alliance, gets ready to place insulation blankets on the shelf after they have been heated. The blankets fit inside the nose cap of an orbiter. They consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches.

KSC-04pd0625

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Damon Petty, with United Space Alliance, removes another insulation blanket from a shelf prior to heat cleaning and waterproofing. The blankets fit inside the nose cap of an orbiter. They consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches.

KSC-04pd0627

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Damon Petty, with United Space Alliance, prepares the cover of another insulation blanket in the “oven” prior to heat cleaning. The blankets fit inside the nose cap of an orbiter. They consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches.

KSC-04pd0622

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Damon Petty, with United Space Alliance, removes an insulation blanket from a shelf prior to heat cleaning and waterproofing. The blankets fit inside the nose cap of an orbiter. They consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches.

KSC-04pd0614

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- United Space Alliance workers Michael Williams and Ginger Morrison stitch together pieces of insulation blankets inside the ring that fits in the nose cap of Discovery. The blankets consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance.

KSC-04pd0613

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- United Space Alliance workers Ginger Morrison and Michael Williams stitch together pieces of insulation blankets inside the ring that fits in the nose cap of Discovery. The blankets consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches.

KSC-04PD-0613

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- United Space Alliance workers Ginger Morrison and Michael Williams stitch together pieces of insulation blankets inside the ring that fits in the nose cap of Discovery. The blankets consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches.

KSC-04PD-0616

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- United Space Alliance workers Ginger Morrison and Michael Williams stitch together pieces of insulation blankets inside the ring that fits in the nose cap of Discovery. The blankets consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches. The blanket is through- stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance.

KSC-04pd0616

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- United Space Alliance workers Ginger Morrison and Michael Williams stitch together pieces of insulation blankets inside the ring that fits in the nose cap of Discovery. The blankets consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance.

KSC-04PD-0614

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- United Space Alliance workers Michael Williams and Ginger Morrison stitch together pieces of insulation blankets inside the ring that fits in the nose cap of Discovery. The blankets consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches. The blanket is through- stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance.

48 CFR 613.303 - Blanket purchase agreements (BPAs).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Blanket purchase agreements (BPAs). 613.303 Section 613.303 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF STATE....303 Blanket purchase agreements (BPAs). ...

48 CFR 1313.303 - Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs). 1313.303 Section 1313.303 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE....303 Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs). ...

48 CFR 13.303 - Blanket purchase agreements (BPAs).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Blanket purchase agreements (BPAs). 13.303 Section 13.303 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION... Methods 13.303 Blanket purchase agreements (BPAs). ...

Epoxy blanket protects milled part during explosive forming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1966-01-01

Epoxy blanket protects chemically milled or machined sections of large, complex structural parts during explosive forming. The blanket uniformly covers all exposed surfaces and fills any voids to support and protect the entire part.

The Markov blankets of life: autonomy, active inference and the free energy principle

PubMed Central

Palacios, Ensor; Friston, Karl; Kiverstein, Julian

2018-01-01

This work addresses the autonomous organization of biological systems. It does so by considering the boundaries of biological systems, from individual cells to Home sapiens, in terms of the presence of Markov blankets under the active inference scheme—a corollary of the free energy principle. A Markov blanket defines the boundaries of a system in a statistical sense. Here we consider how a collective of Markov blankets can self-assemble into a global system that itself has a Markov blanket; thereby providing an illustration of how autonomous systems can be understood as having layers of nested and self-sustaining boundaries. This allows us to show that: (i) any living system is a Markov blanketed system and (ii) the boundaries of such systems need not be co-extensive with the biophysical boundaries of a living organism. In other words, autonomous systems are hierarchically composed of Markov blankets of Markov blankets—all the way down to individual cells, all the way up to you and me, and all the way out to include elements of the local environment. PMID:29343629

Lack of sexual dimorphism in femora of the eusocial and hypogonadic naked mole-rat; a novel animal model for the study of delayed puberty on the skeletal system

PubMed Central

Pinto, M; Jepsen, K J; Terranova, C J; Buffenstein

2015-01-01

Sex steroid hormones are major determinants of bone morphology and quality and are responsible for sexually dimorphic skeletal traits. Hypogonadism results in suboptimal skeletal development and may lead to an increased risk of bone fracture later in life. The etiology of delayed puberty and/or hypothalamic amenorrhea is poorly understood, and experimental animal models addressing this issue are predominantly based upon short-term experimental induction of hormonal suppression via gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonists (GnRH-a). This acute change in hormone profile does not necessarily emulate the natural progression of hypogonadic bone disorders. We propose a novel animal model with which to explore the effects of chronic hypogonadism on bone quality, the naked mole-rat (NMR; Heterocephalus glaber). This mouse-size rodent may remain reproductively suppressed throughout its life, if it remains as a subordinate within the eusocial mole-rat colony. NMRs live in large colonies with a single dominant breeding female. She, primarily by using aggressive social contact, naturally suppresses the hypothalamic gonadotropic axis of subordinate NMRs and thereby their reproductive expression. However should an NMR be separated from the dominant breeder, within less than a week reproductive hormones may become elevated and the animal attains breeding status. We questioned if sexual suppression of subordinates impact upon the development and maintenance of the femora, and lead to a sexually indistinct monomorphic skeleton. Femora were obtained from male and female NMRs that were either non-breeders (subordinate) or breeders at the time of sacrifice. Diaphyseal cross-sectional morphology, metaphyseal trabecular micro-architecture and tissue mineral density of the femur was measured using MicroComputed tomography and diaphyseal mechanical properties were assessed by four-point bending tests to failure. Subordinates were sexually monomorphic and showed no significant differences in body weight or femoral bone structure and quality between male and females. Femora of subordinate females differed significantly from that of breeding animals, whereas in males, the divergent trend among breeders and non-breeders did not reach statistical significance. Subordinate NMRs, naturally suppressed from entering puberty, may prove to be a useful model to tease apart the relationship between bone morphology and hypogonadism and evaluate skeletal development during pubertal maturation. PMID:19761882

Technical design of RISP RFQ Cooler buncher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boussaid, Ramzi; Park, Young-Ho; Kondrashev, Sergey

2017-12-01

An RFQCB is designed at Rare Isotope Science Project (RISP) project to efficiently accept high intensity continuous beams provided by ISOL-RISP facility and deliver to Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS) charge breeder bunched beams with emittance around 3 π.mm.mrad, energy spread < 10 eV and short bunch width ( 10 μs). A new design concept to be implemented in this RFQCB have been developed, including a novel optics system with improved differential pumping system. An electric system providing RF voltages of high amplitudes going up to 10 kV is being also developed. The mechanical design of the various elements forming the radiofrequency quadrupole (RFQ) charge breeder (CB) and their matter are also performed. An overview of the RISP RFQCB design concept as well as the development of its sub-systems will be reported.

Comparative evaluation of solar, fission, fusion, and fossil energy resources, part 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, J. D.; Reupke, W. A.

1974-01-01

The role of nuclear fission reactors in becoming an important power source in the world is discussed. The supply of fissile nuclear fuel will be severely depleted by the year 2000. With breeder reactors the world supply of uranium could last thousands of years. However, breeder reactors have problems of a large radioactive inventory and an accident potential which could present an unacceptable hazard. Although breeder reactors afford a possible solution to the energy shortage, their ultimate role will depend on demonstrated safety and acceptable risks and environmental effects. Fusion power would also be a long range, essentially permanent, solution to the world's energy problem. Fusion appears to compare favorably with breeders in safety and environmental effects. Research comparing a controlled fusion reactor with the breeder reactor in solving our long range energy needs is discussed.

Non-Breeding Eusocial Mole-Rats Produce Viable Sperm—Spermiogram and Functional Testicular Morphology of Fukomys anselli

PubMed Central

Garcia Montero, Angelica; Vole, Christiane; Burda, Hynek; Malkemper, Erich Pascal; Holtze, Susanne; Morhart, Michaela; Saragusty, Joseph; Hildebrandt, Thomas B.; Begall, Sabine

2016-01-01

Ansell’s mole-rats (Fukomys anselli) are subterranean rodents living in families composed of about 20 members with a single breeding pair and their non-breeding offspring. Most of them remain with their parents for their lifetime and help to maintain and defend the natal burrow system, forage, and care for younger siblings. Since incest avoidance is based on individual recognition (and not on social suppression) we expect that non-breeders produce viable sperm spontaneously. We compared the sperm of breeding and non-breeding males, obtained by electroejaculation and found no significant differences in sperm parameters between both groups. Here, we used electroejaculation to obtain semen for the first time in a subterranean mammal. Spermiogram analysis revealed no significant differences in sperm parameters between breeders and non-breeders. We found significantly larger testes (measured on autopsies and on living animals per ultrasonography) of breeders compared to non-breeders (with body mass having a significant effect). There were no marked histological differences between breeding and non-breeding males, and the relative area occupied by Leydig cells and seminiferous tubules on histological sections, respectively, was not significantly different between both groups. The seminiferous epithelium and to a lesser degree the interstitial testicular tissue are characterized by lesions (vacuolar degenerations), however, this feature does not hinder fertilization even in advanced stages of life. The continuous production of viable sperm also in sexually abstinent non-breeders might be best understood in light of the mating and social system of Fukomys anselli, and the potential to found a new family following an unpredictable and rare encounter with an unfamiliar female (“provoked or induced dispersal”). Apparently, the non-breeders do not reproduce because they do not copulate but not because they would be physiologically infertile. The significantly increased testes volume of breeding males (compared to non-breeders) is in agreement with previously found higher testosterone levels of breeders. PMID:26934488

Risk of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and interstitial lung diseases among pigeon breeders.

PubMed

Cramer, Christine; Schlünssen, Vivi; Bendstrup, Elisabeth; Stokholm, Zara Ann; Vestergaard, Jesper Medom; Frydenberg, Morten; Kolstad, Henrik Albert

2016-09-01

We studied the risk of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) among pigeon breeders.This is a retrospective follow-up study from 1980 to 2013 of 6920 pigeon breeders identified in the records of the Danish Racing Pigeon Association. They were compared with 276 800 individually matched referents randomly drawn from the Danish population. Hospital based diagnoses of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other ILDs were identified in the National Patient Registry 1977-2013. Stratified Cox regression analyses estimated the hazard ratios (HR) of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other ILDs adjusted for occupation, residence and redeemed prescription of medication with ILDs as a possible side-effect. Subjects were censored at death, emigration or a diagnosis of connective tissue disease.The overall incidence rate of ILD was 77.4 per 100 000 person-years among the pigeon breeders and 50.0 among the referents. This difference corresponded to an adjusted HR of 1.56 (95% CI 1.26-1.94). The adjusted HRs of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other ILDs for pigeon breeders were 14.36 (95% CI 8.10-25.44) and 1.33 (95% CI 1.05-1.69), respectively.This study shows an increased risk of ILD among pigeon breeders compared with the referent population. Protective measures are recommended even though ILD leading to hospital contact remains rare among pigeon breeders. Copyright ©ERS 2016.

Evaluation of compost blankets for erosion control from disturbed lands.

PubMed

Bhattarai, Rabin; Kalita, Prasanta K; Yatsu, Shotaro; Howard, Heidi R; Svendsen, Niels G

2011-03-01

Soil erosion due to water and wind results in the loss of valuable top soil and causes land degradation and environmental quality problems. Site specific best management practices (BMP) are needed to curb erosion and sediment control and in turn, increase productivity of lands and sustain environmental quality. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of three different types of biodegradable erosion control blankets- fine compost, mulch, and 50-50 mixture of compost and mulch, for soil erosion control under field and laboratory-scale experiments. Quantitative analysis was conducted by comparing the sediment load in the runoff collected from sloped and tilled plots in the field and in the laboratory with the erosion control blankets. The field plots had an average slope of 3.5% and experiments were conducted under natural rainfall conditions, while the laboratory experiments were conducted at 4, 8 and 16% slopes under simulated rainfall conditions. Results obtained from the field experiments indicated that the 50-50 mixture of compost and mulch provides the best erosion control measures as compared to using either the compost or the mulch blanket alone. Laboratory results under simulated rains indicated that both mulch cover and the 50-50 mixture of mulch and compost cover provided better erosion control measures compared to using the compost alone. Although these results indicate that the 50-50 mixtures and the mulch in laboratory experiments are the best measures among the three erosion control blankets, all three types of blankets provide very effective erosion control measures from bare-soil surface. Results of this study can be used in controlling erosion and sediment from disturbed lands with compost mulch application. Testing different mixture ratios and types of mulch and composts, and their efficiencies in retaining various soil nutrients may provide more quantitative data for developing erosion control plans. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The relationship of spectral sensitivity with growth and reproductive response in avian breeders (Gallus gallus)

PubMed Central

Yang, Ye-Feng; Jiang, Jing-Song; Pan, Jin-Ming; Ying, Yi-Bin; Wang, Xiao-Shuang; Zhang, Ming-Li; Lu, Min-Si; Chen, Xian-Hui

2016-01-01

A previous study demonstrated that birds that are exposed to light at night develop advanced reproductive systems. However, spectrum might also affect the photoperiodic response of birds. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of spectral composition on the growth and reproductive physiology of female breeders, using pure light-emitting diode spectra. A total of 1,000 newly hatched female avian breeders (Gallus gallus) were equally allocated to white-, red-, yellow-, green- and blue-light treated groups. We found that blue-light treated birds had a greater and faster weight gain than did red- and yellow-light treated birds (P = 0.02 and 0.05). The red light expedited the sexual maturation of the chicks, whose age at sexual maturity was 7 and 14 days earlier than that of the green- and blue-light treated birds, respectively. The accumulative egg production of the red-light treated birds was 9 and 8 eggs more than that of the blue- and green-light treated birds. The peak lay rate of the red-light treated groups was significantly greater than the blue-light treated birds (P = 0.028). In conclusion, exposure to short-wavelength light appears to promote growth of female breeder birds, whereas exposure to long-wavelength light appears to accelerate reproductive performance. PMID:26765747

The new ECR charge breeder for the Selective Production of Exotic Species project at INFN—Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Galatà, A., E-mail: alessio.galata@lnl.infn.it; Patti, G.; Roncolato, C.

2016-02-15

The Selective Production of Exotic Species (SPES) project is an ISOL facility under construction at Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare–Laboratori Nationali di Legnaro (INFN-LNL). 1+ radioactive ions, produced and extracted from the target-ion-source system, will be charge bred to high charge states by an ECR charge breeder (SPES-CB): the project will adopt an upgraded version of the PHOENIX charge breeder, developed since about twenty years by the Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie (LPSC). The collaboration between LNL and LPSC started in 2010 with charge breeding experiments performed on the LPSC test bench and led, in June 2014, tomore » the signature of a Research Collaboration Agreement for the delivery of a complete charge breeder and ancillaries, satisfying the SPES requirements. Important technological aspects were tackled during the construction phase, as, for example, beam purity issues, electrodes alignment, and vacuum sealing. This phase was completed in spring 2015, after which the qualification tests were carried out at LPSC on the 1+/q+ test stand. This paper describes the characteristics of the SPES-CB, with particular emphasis on the results obtained during the qualification tests: charge breeding of Ar, Xe, Rb, and Cs satisfied the SPES requirements for different intensities of the injected 1+ beam, showing very good performances, some of which are “best ever” for this device.« less

The new ECR charge breeder for the Selective Production of Exotic Species project at INFN—Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galatà, A.; Patti, G.; Roncolato, C.; Angot, J.; Lamy, T.

2016-02-01

The Selective Production of Exotic Species (SPES) project is an ISOL facility under construction at Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Laboratori Nationali di Legnaro (INFN-LNL). 1+ radioactive ions, produced and extracted from the target-ion-source system, will be charge bred to high charge states by an ECR charge breeder (SPES-CB): the project will adopt an upgraded version of the PHOENIX charge breeder, developed since about twenty years by the Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie (LPSC). The collaboration between LNL and LPSC started in 2010 with charge breeding experiments performed on the LPSC test bench and led, in June 2014, to the signature of a Research Collaboration Agreement for the delivery of a complete charge breeder and ancillaries, satisfying the SPES requirements. Important technological aspects were tackled during the construction phase, as, for example, beam purity issues, electrodes alignment, and vacuum sealing. This phase was completed in spring 2015, after which the qualification tests were carried out at LPSC on the 1+/q+ test stand. This paper describes the characteristics of the SPES-CB, with particular emphasis on the results obtained during the qualification tests: charge breeding of Ar, Xe, Rb, and Cs satisfied the SPES requirements for different intensities of the injected 1+ beam, showing very good performances, some of which are "best ever" for this device.

48 CFR 213.303 - Blanket purchase agreements (BPAs).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Blanket purchase agreements (BPAs). 213.303 Section 213.303 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION... PROCEDURES Simplified Acquisition Methods 213.303 Blanket purchase agreements (BPAs). ...

"Easy-on, Easy-off" Blanket Fastener

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kolecki, Ronald E.; Clatterbuck, Carroll H.

1992-01-01

Fasteners hold flexible blanket on set of posts on supporting structure. Disk of silicone rubber cast on disk of Mylar, fastened to blanket and press-fit over post to nest securely in groove. No tools needed for installation or removal.

How the Kennel Club is tackling inherited disorders in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Sampson, Jeff

2011-08-01

Health screening of potential canine breeding stock can provide invaluable information to allow breeders to select against inherited diseases in their breeding programmes. This review details the screening programmes that are currently available to UK dog breeders and evaluates their impact as selective tools for dog breeders. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heat Loads Due to Small Penetrations in Multilayer Insulation Blankets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, W. L.; Heckle, K. W.; Fesmire, J. E.

2017-01-01

The main penetrations (supports and piping) through multilayer insulation systems for cryogenic tanks have been previously addressed by heat flow measurements. Smaller penetrations due to fasteners and attachments are now experimentally investigated. The use of small pins or plastic garment tag fasteners to each the handling and construction of multilayer insulation (MLI) blankets goes back many years. While it has long been understood that penetrations and other discontinuities degrade the performance of the MLI blanket, quantification of this degradation has generally been lumped into gross performance multipliers (often called degradation factors or scale factors). Small penetrations contribute both solid conduction and radiation heat transfer paths through the blanket. The conduction is down the stem of the structural element itself while the radiation is through the hole formed during installation of the pin or fastener. Analytical models were developed in conjunction with MLI perforation theory and Fouriers Law. Results of the analytical models are compared to experimental testing performed on a 10 layer MLI blanket with approximately 50 small plastic pins penetrating the test specimen. The pins were installed at 76-mm spacing inches in both directions to minimize the compounding of thermal effects due to localized compression or lateral heat transfer. The testing was performed using a liquid nitrogen boil-off calorimeter (Cryostat-100) with the standard boundary temperatures of 293 K and 78 K. Results show that the added radiation through the holes is much more significant than the conduction down the fastener. The results are shown to be in agreement with radiation theory for perforated films.

Heat Loads Due To Small Penetrations In Multilayer Insulation Blankets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, W. L.; Heckle, K. W.; E Fesmire, J.

2017-12-01

The main penetrations (supports and piping) through multilayer insulation systems for cryogenic tanks have been previously addressed by heat flow measurements. Smaller penetrations due to fasteners and attachments are now experimentally investigated. The use of small pins or plastic garment tag fasteners to ease the handling and construction of multilayer insulation (MLI) blankets goes back many years. While it has long been understood that penetrations and other discontinuities degrade the performance of the MLI blanket, quantification of this degradation has generally been lumped into gross performance multipliers (often called degradation factors or scale factors). Small penetrations contribute both solid conduction and radiation heat transfer paths through the blanket. The conduction is down the stem of the structural element itself while the radiation is through the hole formed during installation of the pin or fastener. Analytical models were developed in conjunction with MLI perforation theory and Fourier’s Law. Results of the analytical models are compared to experimental testing performed on a 10 layer MLI blanket with approximately 50 small plastic pins penetrating the test specimen. The pins were installed at ∼76-mm spacing inches in both directions to minimize the compounding of thermal effects due to localized compression or lateral heat transfer. The testing was performed using a liquid nitrogen boil-off calorimeter (Cryostat-100) with the standard boundary temperatures of 293 K and 78 K. Results show that the added radiation through the holes is much more significant than the conduction down the fastener. The results are shown to be in agreement with radiation theory for perforated films.

Hierarchical Markov blankets and adaptive active inference. Comment on "Answering Schrödinger's question: A free-energy formulation" by Maxwell James Désormeau Ramstead et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirchhoff, Michael

2018-03-01

Ramstead MJD, Badcock PB, Friston KJ. Answering Schrödinger's question: A free-energy formulation. Phys Life Rev 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plrev.2017.09.001 [this issue] motivate a multiscale characterisation of living systems in terms of hierarchically structured Markov blankets - a view of living systems as comprised of Markov blankets of Markov blankets [1-4]. It is effectively a treatment of what life is and how it is realised, cast in terms of how Markov blankets of living systems self-organise via active inference - a corollary of the free energy principle [5-7].

KSC-04pd0621

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Thermal Protection System Facility, Pilar Ryan, with United Space Alliance, stitches a piece of insulation blanket for Atlantis' nose cap. Behind her is a cover for the nose cap. The blankets consist of layered, pure silica felt sandwiched between a layer of silica fabric (the hot side) and a layer of S-Glass fabric. The blankets are semi-rigid and can be made as large as 30 inches by 30 inches. The blanket is through-stitched with pure silica thread in a 1-inch grid pattern. After fabrication, the blanket is bonded directly to the vehicle structure and finally coated with a high purity silica coating that improves erosion resistance.

Low RF Reflectivity Spacecraft Thermal Blanket by Using High-Impedance Surface Absorbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, F.; Monorchio, A.; Carrubba, E.; Zolesi, V.

2012-05-01

A technique for designing a low-RF reflectivity thermal blanket is presented. Multi-layer insulation (MLI) blankets are employed to stabilize the temperature on spacecraft unit but they can be responsible of passive intermodulation products and high-mutual coupling between antennas since they are realized with metallic materials. The possibility to replace the last inner layer of a MLI blanket with an ultra-thin absorbing layer made of high-impedance surface absorber is discussed.

High temperature lined conduits, elbows and tees

DOEpatents

De Feo, Angelo; Drewniany, Edward

1982-01-01

A high temperature lined conduit comprising, a liner, a flexible insulating refractory blanket around and in contact with the liner, a pipe member around the blanket and spaced therefrom, and castable rigid refractory material between the pipe member and the blanket. Anchors are connected to the inside diameter of the pipe and extend into the castable material. The liner includes male and female slip joint ends for permitting thermal expansion of the liner with respect to the castable material and the pipe member. Elbows and tees of the lined conduit comprise an elbow liner wrapped with insulating refractory blanket material around which is disposed a spaced elbow pipe member with castable refractory material between the blanket material and the elbow pipe member. A reinforcing band is connected to the elbow liner at an intermediate location thereon from which extend a plurality of hollow tubes or pins which extend into the castable material to anchor the lined elbow and permit thermal expansion. A method of fabricating the high temperature lined conduit, elbows and tees is also disclosed which utilizes a polyethylene layer over the refractory blanket after it has been compressed to maintain the refractory blanket in a compressed condition until the castable material is in place. Hot gases are then directed through the interior of the liner for evaporating the polyethylene and setting the castable material which permits the compressed blanket to come into close contact with the castable material.

47 CFR 73.318 - FM blanketing interference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false FM blanketing interference. 73.318 Section 73.318 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES FM Broadcast Stations § 73.318 FM blanketing interference. Areas adjacent to the...

Coupling of electromagnetics and structural/fluid dynamics - application to the dual coolant blanket subjected to plasma disruptions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jordan, T.

Some aspects concerning the coupling of quasi-stationary electromagnetics and the dynamics of structure and fluid are investigated. The necessary equations are given in a dimensionless form. The dimensionless parameters in these equations are used to evaluate the importance of the different coupling effects. A finite element formulation of the eddy-current damping in solid structures is developed. With this formulation, an existing finite element method (FEM) structural dynamics code is extended and coupled to an FEM eddy-current code. With this program system, the influence of the eddy-current damping on the dynamic loading of the dual coolant blanket during a centered plasmamore » disruption is determined. The analysis proves that only in loosely fixed or soft structures will eddy-current damping considerably reduce the resulting stresses. Additionally, the dynamic behavior of the liquid metal in the blankets` poloidal channels is described with a simple two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic approach. The analysis of the dimensionless parameters shows that for small-scale experiments, which are designed to model the coupled electromagnetic and structural/fluid dynamic effects in such a blanket, the same magnetic fields must be applied as in the real fusion device. This will be the easiest way to design experiments that produce transferable results. 10 refs., 7 figs.« less

Surge current and electron swarm tunnel tests of thermal blanket and ground strap materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffmaster, D. K.; Inouye, G. T.; Sellen, J. M., Jr.

1977-01-01

The results are described of a series of current conduction tests with a thermal control blanket to which grounding straps have been attached. The material and the ground strap attachment procedure are described. The current conduction tests consisted of a surge current examination of the ground strap and a dilute flow, energetic electron deposition and transport through the bulk of the insulating film of this thermal blanket material. Both of these test procedures were used previously with thermal control blanket materials.

Dietary genistein supplementation in laying broiler breeder hens alters the development and metabolism of offspring embryos as revealed by hepatic transcriptome analysis.

PubMed

Lv, Zengpeng; Fan, Hao; Zhang, Beibei; Ning, Chao; Xing, Kun; Guo, Yuming

2018-03-08

Genistein (GEN) is a type of isoflavone mainly derived from soy products. In this experiment, we added 40 and 400 mg/kg GEN to the diet of laying broiler breeder hens to clarify the maternal effects of GEN on the development and metabolism of chick embryos. GEN treatment at 40 mg/kg increased embryonic length, weight, and liver index, as well as the width of the proliferative zone in the tibial growth plate of chick embryos. Gene ontology (GO) cluster analysis of the hepatic transcriptome showed that GEN treatment promoted embryonic development and cell proliferation. Low-dose GEN treatment increased insulin growth factor-binding protein (IGFBP)3 mRNA expression in the embryonic liver, whereas high-dose GEN treatment increased IGFBP5 expression and activated the apoptosis and protein tyrosine kinase signaling pathways. Furthermore, adding supplemental GEN to the diet of hens promoted the glycolysis process in the embryonic liver through the insulin-signaling pathway, upregulated target genes (phosphoglucomutase-2, hexokinase 1, dihydroxyacetone phosphate by aldolase, phosphofructokinase, platelet, and enolase 2), and enhanced the transport of carboxylic acids and cholesterol and the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acid (arachidonic acid) in the embryonic liver through upregulation of liver X receptor, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1, and patatin-like phospholipase A. Additionally, GEN treatment increased fatty acid β-oxidation and Na + /K + -ATPase activity in the embryonic liver through activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs; PPARα and PPARδ) and the AMPK signaling pathway, which could provide energy for embryonic development. In addition, GEN treatment in hens increased superoxide dismutase activity and metallothionein expression in the chick embryonic liver and promoted lymphocyte proliferation through upregulation of mRNA expression of CDKN1A, IL12RB1, Sox11, PRKAR1A, PRKCQ, and TCF3. The improved immunity and antioxidant capacity, as a result of maternal GEN effects, was conducive to embryonic development. In conclusion, the addition of GEN to the diet of laying broiler breeder hens significantly promoted the development and metabolism of chick embryos.-Lv, Z., Fan, H., Zhang, B., Ning, C., Xing, K., Guo, Y. Dietary genistein supplementation in laying broiler breeder hens alters the development and metabolism of offspring embryos as revealed by hepatic transcriptome analysis.

Advanced Burner Reactor with Breed-and-Burn Thorium Blankets for Improved Economics and Resource Utilization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greenspan, Ehud

2015-11-04

This study assesses the feasibility of designing Seed and Blanket (S&B) Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) to generate a significant fraction of the core power from radial thorium fueled blankets that operate on the Breed-and-Burn (B&B) mode without exceeding the radiation damage constraint of presently verified cladding materials. The S&B core is designed to maximize the fraction of neutrons that radially leak from the seed (or “driver”) into the subcritical blanket and reduce neutron loss via axial leakage. The blanket in the S&B core makes beneficial use of the leaking neutrons for improved economics and resource utilization. A specific objective ofmore » this study is to maximize the fraction of core power that can be generated by the blanket without violating the thermal hydraulic and material constraints. Since the blanket fuel requires no reprocessing along with remote fuel fabrication, a larger fraction of power from the blanket will result in a smaller fuel recycling capacity and lower fuel cycle cost per unit of electricity generated. A unique synergism is found between a low conversion ratio (CR) seed and a B&B blanket fueled by thorium. Among several benefits, this synergism enables the very low leakage S&B cores to have small positive coolant voiding reactivity coefficient and large enough negative Doppler coefficient even when using inert matrix fuel for the seed. The benefits of this synergism are maximized when using an annular seed surrounded by an inner and outer thorium blankets. Among the high-performance S&B cores designed to benefit from this unique synergism are: (1) the ultra-long cycle core that features a cycle length of ~7 years; (2) the high-transmutation rate core where the seed fuel features a TRU CR of 0.0. Its TRU transmutation rate is comparable to that of the reference Advanced Burner Reactor (ABR) with CR of 0.5 and the thorium blanket can generate close to 60% of the core power; but requires only one sixth of the reprocessing and fabrication capacity per unit of core power. Nevertheless, these high-performance cores were designed to set upper bounds on the S&B core performance by using larger height and pressure drop than those of typical SFR design. A study was subsequently undertaken to quantify the tradeoff between S&B core design variables and the core performance. This study concludes that a viable S&B core can be designed without significant deviation from SFR core design practices. For example, the S&B core with 120cm active height will be comparable in volume, HM mass and specific power with the S-PRISM core and could fit within the S-PRISM reactor vessel. 43% of this core power will be generated by the once-through thorium blanket; the required capacity for reprocessing and remote fuel fabrication per unit of electricity generated will be approximately one fifth of that for a comparable ABR. The sodium void worth of this 120cm tall S&B core is significantly less positive than that of the reference ABR and the Doppler coefficient is only slightly smaller even though the seed uses a fertile-free fuel. The seed in the high transmutation core requires inert matrix fuel (TRU-40Zr) that has been successfully irradiated by the Fuel Cycle Research & Development program. An additional sensitivity analysis was later conducted to remove the bias introduced by the discrepancy between radiation damage constraints -- 200 DPA applied for S&B cores and fast fluence of 4x1023 n(>0.1MeV)/cm2 applied for ABR core design. Although the performance characteristics of the S&B cores are sensitive to the radiation damage constraint applied, the S&B cores offer very significant performance improvements relative to the conventional ABR core design when using identical constraint.« less

Thin Thermal-Insulation Blankets for Very High Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, Michael K.

2003-01-01

Thermal-insulation blankets of a proposed type would be exceptionally thin and would endure temperatures up to 2,100 C. These blankets were originally intended to protect components of the NASA Solar Probe spacecraft against radiant heating at its planned closest approach to the Sun (a distance of 4 solar radii). These blankets could also be used on Earth to provide thermal protection in special applications (especially in vacuum chambers) for which conventional thermal-insulation blankets would be too thick or would not perform adequately. A blanket according to the proposal (see figure) would be made of molybdenum, titanium nitride, and carbon- carbon composite mesh, which melt at temperatures of 2,610, 2,930, and 2,130 C, respectively. The emittance of molybdenum is 0.24, while that of titanium nitride is 0.03. Carbon-carbon composite mesh is a thermal insulator. Typically, the blanket would include 0.25-mil (.0.00635-mm)-thick hot-side and cold-side cover layers of molybdenum. Titanium nitride would be vapor-deposited on both surfaces of each cover layer. Between the cover layers there would be 10 inner layers of 0.15-mil (.0.0038-mm)-thick molybdenum with vapor-deposited titanium nitride on both sides of each layer. The thickness of each titanium nitride coat would be about 1,000 A. The cover and inner layers would be interspersed with 0.25-mil (0.00635-mm)-thick layers of carbon-carbon composite mesh. The blanket would have total thickness of 4.75 mils (approximately equal to 0.121 mm) and an areal mass density of 0.7 kilograms per square meter. One could, of course, increase the thermal- insulation capability of the blanket by increasing number of inner layers (thereby unavoidably increasing the total thickness and mass density).

Global impact of accelerated plant breeding: Evidence from a meta-analysis on rice breeding.

PubMed

Lenaerts, Bert; de Mey, Yann; Demont, Matty

2018-01-01

Rice breeders in Asia and elsewhere in the world have long overlooked trying to shorten the time it takes to develop new varieties. Plant breeders have proposed a technique called Rapid Generation Advance (RGA) as a way to accelerate the results of public rice breeding programs. However, little is known about RGA's potential impact. Here, we present the first results of a global impact study of RGA. More specifically, we calculated the multiplicator effects of RGA on the research benefits generated by conventional rice breeding programs and applied them to a meta-analysis of selected impact studies in the literature. These insights are a first crucial step in developing a targeted approach for disseminating RGA technology among rice breeders to accelerate the impact of their public rice breeding programs around the world. We show that the additional benefits due to time savings are considerable and offer some insights into the economics of breeding. Our results confirm that the adoption of accelerated breeding would lead to substantial advantages to rice breeding programs and the earlier variety release leads to significant economic benefits to society. This can be important to policy makers when reshaping their public breeding methods and optimising their return on research investments in breeding.

An Ultrasonic Scanning Technique for In-Situ `Bowing' Measurement of Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor Fuel Sub-Assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swaminathan, K.; Asokane, C.; Sylvia, J. I.; Kalyanasundaram, P.; Swaminathan, P.

2012-02-01

An ultrasonic under-sodium scanner has been developed for deployment in Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) which is in advanced stage of construction at Kalpakkam, India. Its purpose is to scan the above-core plenum for detection, if any, of displacement of sub-assemblies. During its burn-up in the reactor, the head of a Fuel Sub-Assembly (FSA) may undergo a lateral shift from its original position (called `bowing') due to the fast neutron induced damage on its structural material. A simple scanning technique has been developed for measuring the extent of bowing in-situ. This paper describes a PC-controlled mock-up of the scanner used to implement the scanning technique and the results obtained of scanning a mock-up FSA head under water. The details of the liquid-sodium proof transducer developed for use in the PFBR scanner and its performance are also discussed.

X-ray computed tomography to study rice (Oryza sativa L.) panicle development

PubMed Central

Jhala, Vibhuti M.; Thaker, Vrinda S.

2015-01-01

Computational tomography is an important technique for developing digital agricultural models that may help farmers and breeders for increasing crop quality and yield. In the present study an attempt has been made to understand rice seed development within the panicle at different developmental stages using this technique. During the first phase of cell division the Hounsfield Unit (HU) value remained low, increased in the dry matter accumulation phase, and finally reached a maximum at the maturation stage. HU value and seed dry weight showed a linear relationship in the varieties studied. This relationship was confirmed subsequently using seven other varieties. This is therefore an easy, simple, and non-invasive technique which may help breeders to select the best varieties. In addition, it may also help farmers to optimize post-anthesis agronomic practices as well as deciding the crop harvest time for higher grain yield. PMID:26265763

Heat transfer and technological investigations on mixed beds of beryllium and Li 4SiO 4 pebbles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalle Donne, M.; Goraieb, A.; Huber, R.; Schmitt, B.; Schumacher, G.; Sordon, G.; Weisenburger, A.

1994-09-01

For the European BOT DEMO solid breeder blanket design the use of mixtures of 2 mm beryllium and 0.1-0.2 mm Li 4SiO 4 pebbles with and without 0.1-0.2 mm beryllium pebbles has been proposed. A series of heat transfer and technological investigations are being performed for these pebbles. Namely: (a) Measurements of the thermal conductivity and of the wall heat transfer coefficient of a 2 mm Be pebble bed, of a bed with 2 mm Be plus 0.1-0.2 mm Li 4SiO 4 pebbles and of a bed with 2 mm Be pebbles plus 0.1-0.2 mm Li 4SiO 4 and Be pebbles. (b) Thermal cycle tests of mixed beds of Li 4SiO 4 and beryllium pebbles; during these tests the pressure drop across the bed of the helium purging flow is measured. (c) Annealing tests at 650°C of the Li 4SiO 4 pebbles with and without the beryllium pebbles. (d) Measurement of the failure loads of the Li 4SiO 4 pebbles before and after annealing. Tests (a) and (b) have been performed for bigger Li 4SiO 4 pebbles (0.3-0.6 mm) as well. The results of the experiments are reported in the paper.

Results of availability imposed configuration details developed for K-DEMO

DOE PAGES

Brown, Tom; Titus, Peter; Brooks, Art; ...

2016-02-05

We completed a two year study using the Korean fusion demonstration reactor (K-DEMO) where we looked at key Tokamak components and configuration options in preparation of a conceptual design phase. A key part of a device configuration centers on defining an arrangement that enhances the ability to reach high availability values by defining design solutions that foster simplified maintenance operations. In order to maximize the size and minimize the number of in-vessel components enlarged TF coils were defined that incorporate a pair of windings within each coil to mitigate pressure drop issues and to reduce the cost of the coils.more » Furthermore, we defined a semi-permanent shield structure in order to develop labyrinth interfaces between double-null plasma contoured shield modules, provide an entity to align blanket components and provide support against disruption loads—with a load path that equilibrates blanket, TF and PF loads through a base structure. Blanket piping services and auxiliary systems that interface with in-vessel components have played a major role in defining the overall device arrangement—concept details will be presented along with general arrangement features and preliminary results obtained from disruption analysis.« less

Distributing Radiant Heat in Insulation Tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freitag, H. J.; Reyes, A. R.; Ammerman, M. C.

1986-01-01

Thermally radiating blanket of stepped thickness distributes heat over insulation sample during thermal vacuum testing. Woven of silicon carbide fibers, blanket spreads heat from quartz lamps evenly over insulation sample. Because of fewer blanket layers toward periphery of sample, more heat initially penetrates there for more uniform heat distribution.

18 CFR 284.402 - Blanket marketing certificates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Blanket marketing certificates. 284.402 Section 284.402 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... RELATED AUTHORITIES Certain Sales for Resale by Non-interstate Pipelines § 284.402 Blanket marketing...

18 CFR 284.402 - Blanket marketing certificates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Blanket marketing certificates. 284.402 Section 284.402 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... RELATED AUTHORITIES Certain Sales for Resale by Non-interstate Pipelines § 284.402 Blanket marketing...

18 CFR 284.402 - Blanket marketing certificates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Blanket marketing certificates. 284.402 Section 284.402 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... RELATED AUTHORITIES Certain Sales for Resale by Non-interstate Pipelines § 284.402 Blanket marketing...

North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-01

broiler and turkey flocks ( meat -type birds); • Commercial duck and goose meat -type production flocks; • Pullet production flocks; • Commercial...services, public health measures and communications. Notifiable Avian Influenza Hazard Specific Plan. This plan outlines the response to be undertaken by...terme_compartiment) • Broiler, turkey or layer breeder production flocks; • Duck breeder and upland game breeder flocks; • Commercial (grow out

Clearance of Escherichia coli After Intravenous Inoculation in Broiler Breeder Pullets Fed Skip a day, Every Day in the feeder and Every Day on the Litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The effect of feeding programs on the time of clearance of Escherichia coli in broiler breeder pullets was investigated. Broiler breeder pullets from a single grandparent flock were in ovo-vaccinated at 19 d of incubation with a vector HVT (vHVT) vector HVT + Infectious bursal disease (IBD) vaccine....

U.S. Nuclear Cooperation with India: Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-17

safeguards-irrelevant.” The following facilities and activities were not on the separation list: ! 8 indigenous Indian power reactors ! Fast Breeder ...test Reactor (FTBR) and Prototype Fast Breeder Reactors (PFBR) under construction ! Enrichment facilities ! Spent fuel reprocessing facilities (except...potential use in a bomb. In addition, safeguards on enrichment, reprocessing plants, and breeder reactors would support the 2002 U.S. National Strategy to

Prevention of inclusion body hepatitis/hydropericardium syndrome in progeny chickens by vaccination of breeders with fowl adenovirus and chicken anemia virus.

PubMed

Toro, H; González, C; Cerda, L; Morales, M A; Dooner, P; Salamero, M

2002-01-01

The hypothesis that an effective protection of progeny chickens against inclusion body hepatitis/hydropericardium syndrome (IBH/HP) can be achieved by dual vaccination of breeders with fowl adenovirus (FAV) serotype 4 and chicken anemia virus (CAV) was tested. Thus, 17-wk-old brown leghorn pullet groups were vaccinated by different schemes including single FAV (inactivated), single CAV (attenuated), FAV and CAV dually, or were not vaccinated (controls). Subsequent progenies of these breeders were challenged with the virulent strains FAV-341 and CAV-10343 following three strategies: 1) FAV-341 intramuscularly (i.m.) at day 10 of age (only FAV-vaccinated and control progenies); 2) FAV + CAV i.m. simultaneously at day 10 of age (all progenies); 3) CAV i.m. at day 1 and FAV orally at day 10 of age (all progenies). The induction of IBH/HP in these progenies was evaluated throughout a 10-day period. Both breeder groups vaccinated against FAV and those vaccinated against CAV increased virus neutralizing specific antibodies. Challenge strategy 1 showed 26.6% mortality in control progeny chickens and 13.3% in the progeny of FAV-vaccinated breeders. Presence of lesions in the liver of these groups showed no significant differences (P > 0.05), suggesting a discreet protective effect of the vaccine. Challenge strategy 2 showed 29.4% mortality in controls and 94% of chickens showed hepatic inclusion bodies (HIB). Single CAV vaccination of breeders did not demonstrate a beneficial effect, with both mortality and liver lesions resembling the nonvaccinated controls. FAV vaccination of breeders significantly reduced both mortality (7.4%) and liver lesions (26% HIB) (P < 0.05), providing protection against this challenge strategy. Dual vaccination of breeders with FAV and CAV proved to be necessary to achieve maximum protection of the progeny (no mortality and 7% HIB). Challenge strategy 3 produced no mortality but consistent liver damage in controls (96% HIB). In this case, both CAV and FAV + CAV-vaccinated breeders showed best protection results in terms of liver histopathology (8% and 0% HIB, respectively). FAV vaccination alone produced 24% HIB, similar to challenge strategy 2, demonstrating a lower protective effect.

Chemical imaging of secondary cell wall development in cotton fibers using a mid-infrared focal-plane array detector

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Market demands for cotton varieties with improved fiber properties also call for the development of fast, reliable analytical methods for monitoring fiber development and measuring their properties. Currently, cotton breeders rely on instrumentation that can require significant amounts of sample, w...

Investigation of the Performance of D 2O-Cooled High-Conversion Reactors for Fuel Cycle Calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hiruta, Hikaru; Youinou, Gilles

2013-09-01

This report presents FY13 activities for the analysis of D 2O cooled tight-pitch High-Conversion PWRs (HCPWRs) with U-Pu and Th-U fueled cores aiming at break-even or near breeder conditions while retaining the negative void reactivity. The analyses are carried out from several aspects which could not be covered in FY12 activities. SCALE 6.1 code system is utilized, and a series of simple 3D fuel pin-cell models are developed in order to perform Monte Carlo based criticality and burnup calculations. The performance of U-Pu fueled cores with axial and internal blankets is analyzed in terms of their impact on the relativemore » fissile Pu mass balance, initial Pu enrichment, and void coefficient. In FY12, Pu conversion performances of D 2O-cooled HCPWRs fueled with MOX were evaluated with small sized axial/internal DU blankets (approximately 4cm of axial length) in order to ensure the negative void reactivity, which evidently limits the conversion performance of HCPWRs. In this fiscal year report, the axial sizes of DU blankets are extended up to 30 cm in order to evaluate the amount of DU necessary to reach break-even and/or breeding conditions. Several attempts are made in order to attain the milestone of the HCPWR designs (i.e., break-even condition and negative void reactivity) by modeling of HCPWRs under different conditions such as boiling of D 2O coolant, MOX with different 235U enrichment, and different target burnups. A similar set of analyses are performed for Th-U fueled cores. Several promising characteristics of 233U over other fissile like 239Pu and 235U, most notably its higher fission neutrons per absorption in thermal and epithermal ranges combined with lower ___ in the fast range than 239Pu allows Th-U cores to be taller than MOX ones. Such an advantage results in 4% higher relative fissile mass balance than that of U-Pu fueled cores while retaining the negative void reactivity until the target burnup of 51 GWd/t. Several other distinctions between U-Pu and Th-U fueled cores are identified by evaluating the sensitivity coefficients of keff, mass balance, and void coefficient. The effect of advanced iron alloy cladding (i.e., FeCrAl) on the performance of Pu conversion in MOX fueled cores is studied instead of using standard stainless-steel cladding. Variations in clad thickness and coolant-to-fuel volume ratio are also exercised. The use of FeCrAl instead of SS as a cladding alloy reduces the required Pu enrichment and improves the Pu conversion rate primarily due to the absence of nickel in the cladding alloy that results in the reduction of the neutron absorption. Also the difference in void coefficients between SS and FeCrAl alloys is nearly 500 pcm over the entire burnup range. The report also shows sensitivity and uncertainty analyses in order to characterize D 2O cooled HCPWRs from different aspects. The uncertainties of integral parameters (keff and void coefficient) for selected reactor cores are evaluated at different burnup points in order to find similarities and trends respect to D 2O-HCPWR.« less

48 CFR 313.303-5 - Purchases under blanket purchase agreements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Purchases under blanket purchase agreements. 313.303-5 Section 313.303-5 Federal Acquisition Regulations System HEALTH AND HUMAN... Methods 313.303-5 Purchases under blanket purchase agreements. (e)(5) HHS personnel that sign delivery...

77 FR 31004 - Southern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Request Under Blanket Authorization

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-24

... Natural Gas Company; Notice of Request Under Blanket Authorization Take notice that on May 9, 2012, Southern Natural Gas Company (Southern), 569 Brookwood Village, Suite 501, Birmingham, Alabama 35209, filed... Commission's regulations under the Natural Gas Act (NGA), and Southern's blanket certificate issued in Docket...

FAST NEUTRON REACTOR

DOEpatents

Soodak, H.; Wigner, E.P.

1961-07-25

A reactor comprising fissionable material in concentration sufficiently high so that the average neutron enengy within the reactor is at least 25,000 ev is described. A natural uranium blanket surrounds the reactor, and a moderating reflector surrounds the blanket. The blanket is thick enough to substantially eliminate flow of neutrons from the reflector.

77 FR 34876 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-12

... (a flammable fluid leakage zone) or heat damage to the APU power feeder cable, insulation blankets... heat damage to the APU power feeder cable, insulation blankets, or pressure bulkhead. Relevant Service... feeder cable and heat damage of the insulation blanket adjacent to the clamp, a detailed inspection for...

18 CFR 33.1 - Applicability, definitions, and blanket authorizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Applicability, definitions, and blanket authorizations. 33.1 Section 33.1 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL... UNDER FEDERAL POWER ACT SECTION 203 § 33.1 Applicability, definitions, and blanket authorizations. (a...

HEAT GENERATION

DOEpatents

Imhoff, D.H.; Harker, W.H.

1963-12-01

Heat is generated by the utilization of high energy neutrons produced as by nuclear reactions between hydrogen isotopes in a blanket zone containing lithium, a neutron moderator, and uranium and/or thorium effective to achieve multtplicatton of the high energy neutron. The rnultiplied and moderated neutrons produced react further with lithium-6 to produce tritium in the blanket. Thermal neutron fissionable materials are also produced and consumed in situ in the blanket zone. The heat produced by the aggregate of the various nuclear reactions is then withdrawn from the blanket zone to be used or otherwise disposed externally. (AEC)

Evidence for Vertical Transmission of Novel Duck-Origin Goose Parvovirus-Related Parvovirus.

PubMed

Chen, H; Tang, Y; Dou, Y; Zheng, X; Diao, Y

2016-06-01

In 2015, novel duck-origin goose parvovirus-related parvovirus (N-GPV) infection progressively appeared in commercial Cherry Valley duck flocks in North China. Diseased ducks were observed to have beak atrophy and dwarfism syndrome (BADS). A previous study showed that a high seropositive rate for N-GPV indicated a latent infection in most breeder duck flocks. To investigate this possibility in hatching eggs collected from N-GPV-infected breeder ducks, 120 eggs were collected at various stages of embryonic development for viral DNA detection and an N-GPV-specific antibody test. N-GPV DNA was present in nine hatching eggs, eleven duck embryo and eight newly hatched ducklings. Of the newly hatched ducklings, 58.33% (21/36) were seropositive. Further, two isolates were obtained from a 12-day-old duck embryo and a newly hatched duckling. N-GPV infection did not reduce the fertilization rate and hatchability. These results indicate possible vertical transmission of N-GPV and suggest that it may be transmitted from breeder ducks to ducklings in ovo. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Thermal and hydraulic analysis of a cylindrical blanket module design for a tokamak reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, A.Y.

1978-10-01

Various existing blanket design concepts for a tokamak fusion reactor were evaluated and assessed. These included the demonstration power reactors of ORNL, GA and others. As a result of this study, a cylindrical, modularized blanket design concept was developed. The module is a double-walled, stainless steel 316 cylinder containing liquid lithium for tritium breeding and is cooled by pressurized helium. Steady state and transient thermal conditions under normal and some off-design conditions were analyzed and presented. At the steady state reference operating point the maximum structure temperature is 452/sup 0/C at the maximum stressed location and is 495/sup 0/C atmore » the less stressed location. The coolant inlet pressure is 54.4 atm, the inlet temperature is 200/sup 0/C and the exit temperature is 435/sup 0/C. The coolant could be utilized with a helium/steam turbine power conversion system with a cycle thermal efficiency of 30.8%.« less

Modelled female sale options demonstrate improved profitability in northern beef herds.

PubMed

Niethe, G E; Holmes, W E

2008-12-01

To examine the impact of improving the average value of cows sold, the risk of decreasing the number weaned, and total sales on the profitability of northern Australian cattle breeding properties. Gather, model and interpret breeder herd performances and production parameters on properties from six beef-producing regions in northern Australia. Production parameters, prices, costs and herd structure were entered into a herd simulation model for six northern Australian breeding properties that spay females to enhance their marketing options. After the data were validated by management, alternative management strategies were modelled using current market prices and most likely herd outcomes. The model predicted a close relationship between the average sale value of cows, the total herd sales and the gross margin/adult equivalent. Keeping breeders out of the herd to fatten generally improves their sale value, and this can be cost-effective, despite the lower number of progeny produced and the subsequent reduction in total herd sales. Furthermore, if the price of culled cows exceeds the price of culled heifers, provided there are sufficient replacement pregnant heifers available to maintain the breeder herd nucleus, substantial gains in profitability can be obtained by decreasing the age at which cows are culled from the herd. Generalised recommendations on improving reproductive performance are not necessarily the most cost-effective strategy to improve breeder herd profitability. Judicious use of simulation models is essential to help develop the best turnoff strategies for females and to improve station profitability.

Staphylococcus agnetis, a potential pathogen in broiler breeders.

PubMed

Poulsen, Louise Ladefoged; Thøfner, Ida; Bisgaard, Magne; Olsen, Rikke Heidemann; Christensen, Jens Peter; Christensen, Henrik

2017-12-01

In this study, four broiler parent flocks have been followed from the onset of the production period (week 20) until slaughter (week 60). Every week, approximately ten dead broiler breeders, randomly selected among birds dead on their own, were collected and subjected to a full post mortem analysis including bacteriological examination. In total 997 breeders were investigated and for the first time Staphylococcus agnetis was isolated in pure culture from cases of endocarditis and septicemia from 16 broiler breeders. In addition, the cloacal flora from newly hatched chickens originating from the same four flocks were characterized and S. agnetis was found in pure culture of several newly hatched chickens (n=12) and only in one case in combination with another species. Clonality of the isolates was examined by pulsed-field-gel-electrophoresis which showed indistinguishable patterns in isolates from both broiler breeders and broilers. Three isolates were whole genome sequenced to obtain knowledge on virulence genes. The isolates harbored a number of genes encoding different fibrinogen binding proteins and toxins which might be important for virulence. The present findings demonstrate that S. agnetis may be associated with mortality in broiler breeders. No disease was associated with the broilers which were found positive for S. agnetis in the cloaca. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Movement patterns of Bar-headed Geese Anser indicus during breeding and post-breeding periods at Qinghai Lake, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cui, Peng; Hou, Yuansheng; Tang, Mingjie; Zhang, Haiting; Zuohua, Yuanchun; Yin, Zuohua; Li, Tianxian; Guo, Shan; Xing, Zhi; He, Yubang; Prosser, Diann J.; Newman, Scott H.; Takekawa, John Y.; Yan, Baoping; Lei, Fumin

2011-01-01

The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreak at Qinghai Lake, China, in 2005 caused the death of over 6,000 migratory birds, half of which were Bar-headed Geese Anser indicus. Understanding the movements of this species may inform monitoring of outbreak risks for HPAI viruses; thus, we investigated the movement patterns of 29 Bar-headed Geese at Qinghai Lake, China during 2007 and 2008 by using high resolution GPS satellite telemetry. We described the movements and distribution of marked Bar-headed Geese during the pre-nesting, nesting, and moulting periods. Of 21 Bar-headed Geese with complete transmission records, 3 moved to other areas during the nesting period: 2 to Jianghe wetland (50 km northwest of Qinghai Lake) and 1 to Cuolongka Lake (220 km northwest of Qinghai Lake) during the nesting period. We identified nesting attempts of 7 of the marked geese at Qinghai Lake. Four completed successful nesting attempts according to our rules of judgment for the breeding status, and 2 geese lost broods soon after hatching (hereafter referred to as unsuccessful breeders). Of 18 geese present at Qinghai Lake during the nesting period, 9 (6 non-breeders, 2 successful breeders and 1 unsuccessful breeder) remained at Qinghai Lake during the moulting period; and 9 (5 non-breeders, 4 unsuccessful breeders) left Qinghai Lake for moulting. Kuhai Lake, Donggeicuona Lake, Alake Lake, Zhaling-Eling Lake area and Huangheyuan wetland area were used as moulting sites. Geese that moulted at Qinghai Lake, Cuolongka Lake, Kuhai Lake, Donggeicuona Lake and Alake Lake also moved to Zhaling-Eling Lake area or Huangheyuan wetland area and stayed there for several days prior to autumn migration. Mean home range and core area estimates did not differ significantly by sex, year and between breeders and non-breeders.

Movement patterns of Bar-headed Geese Anser indicus during breeding and post-breeding periods at Qinghai Lake, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cui, P.; Hou, Y.; Tang, M.; Zhang, H.; Zhou, Y.; Yin, Z.; Li, T.; Guo, S.; Xing, Z.; He, Y.; Prosser, D.J.; Newman, S.H.; Takekawa, John Y.; Yan, B.; Lei, F.

2011-01-01

The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreak at Qinghai Lake, China, in 2005 caused the death of over 6,000 migratory birds, half of which were Bar-headed Geese Anser indicus. Understanding the movements of this species may inform monitoring of outbreak risks for HPAI viruses; thus, we investigated the movement patterns of 29 Bar-headed Geese at Qinghai Lake, China during 2007 and 2008 by using high resolution GPS satellite telemetry. We described the movements and distribution of marked Bar-headed Geese during the pre-nesting, nesting, and moulting periods. Of 21 Bar-headed Geese with complete transmission records, 3 moved to other areas during the nesting period: 2 to Jianghe wetland (50 km northwest of Qinghai Lake) and 1 to Cuolongka Lake (220 km northwest of Qinghai Lake) during the nesting period. We identified nesting attempts of 7 of the marked geese at Qinghai Lake. Four completed successful nesting attempts according to our rules of judgment for the breeding status, and 2 geese lost broods soon after hatching (hereafter referred to as unsuccessful breeders). Of 18 geese present at Qinghai Lake during the nesting period, 9 (6 non-breeders, 2 successful breeders and 1 unsuccessful breeder) remained at Qinghai Lake during the moulting period; and 9 (5 non-breeders, 4 unsuccessful breeders) left Qinghai Lake for moulting. Kuhai Lake, Donggeicuona Lake, Alake Lake, Zhaling-Eling Lake area and Huangheyuan wetland area were used as moulting sites. Geese that moulted at Qinghai Lake, Cuolongka Lake, Kuhai Lake, Donggeicuona Lake and Alake Lake also moved to Zhaling-Eling Lake area or Huangheyuan wetland area and stayed there for several days prior to autumn migration. Mean home range and core area estimates did not differ significantly by sex, year and between breeders and non-breeders. ?? 2010 Dt. Ornithologen-Gesellschaft e.V.

An integrated approach for increasing breeding efficiency in apple and peach in Europe.

PubMed

Laurens, Francois; Aranzana, Maria José; Arus, Pere; Bassi, Daniele; Bink, Marco; Bonany, Joan; Caprera, Andrea; Corelli-Grappadelli, Luca; Costes, Evelyne; Durel, Charles-Eric; Mauroux, Jehan-Baptiste; Muranty, Hélène; Nazzicari, Nelson; Pascal, Thierry; Patocchi, Andrea; Peil, Andreas; Quilot-Turion, Bénédicte; Rossini, Laura; Stella, Alessandra; Troggio, Michela; Velasco, Riccardo; van de Weg, Eric

2018-01-01

Despite the availability of whole genome sequences of apple and peach, there has been a considerable gap between genomics and breeding. To bridge the gap, the European Union funded the FruitBreedomics project (March 2011 to August 2015) involving 28 research institutes and private companies. Three complementary approaches were pursued: (i) tool and software development, (ii) deciphering genetic control of main horticultural traits taking into account allelic diversity and (iii) developing plant materials, tools and methodologies for breeders. Decisive breakthroughs were made including the making available of ready-to-go DNA diagnostic tests for Marker Assisted Breeding, development of new, dense SNP arrays in apple and peach, new phenotypic methods for some complex traits, software for gene/QTL discovery on breeding germplasm via Pedigree Based Analysis (PBA). This resulted in the discovery of highly predictive molecular markers for traits of horticultural interest via PBA and via Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) on several European genebank collections. FruitBreedomics also developed pre-breeding plant materials in which multiple sources of resistance were pyramided and software that can support breeders in their selection activities. Through FruitBreedomics, significant progresses were made in the field of apple and peach breeding, genetics, genomics and bioinformatics of which advantage will be made by breeders, germplasm curators and scientists. A major part of the data collected during the project has been stored in the FruitBreedomics database and has been made available to the public. This review covers the scientific discoveries made in this major endeavour, and perspective in the apple and peach breeding and genomics in Europe and beyond.

Security Blanket or Mother: Which Benefits Linus during Pediatric Examinations?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ybarra, Gabriel; Passman, Richard H.; Eisenberg, Carl S. L.

This study compared the degree to which young children were placated during a standard medical evaluation by the presence of their mother, blanket, mother plus blanket, or no supportive agent. Participating were 64 three-year-olds who underwent 4 routine medical procedures. Children were rated by their mothers as attached or nonattached to…

18 CFR 284.224 - Certain transportation and sales by local distribution companies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... NATURAL GAS POLICY ACT OF 1978 AND RELATED AUTHORITIES Blanket Certificates Authorizing Certain... to the jurisdiction of the Commission, by reason of section 1(c) of the Natural Gas Act. (b) Blanket... apply for a blanket certificate under this section. (2) Upon application for a certificate under this...

18 CFR 284.224 - Certain transportation and sales by local distribution companies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... NATURAL GAS POLICY ACT OF 1978 AND RELATED AUTHORITIES Blanket Certificates Authorizing Certain... to the jurisdiction of the Commission, by reason of section 1(c) of the Natural Gas Act. (b) Blanket... apply for a blanket certificate under this section. (2) Upon application for a certificate under this...

18 CFR 284.224 - Certain transportation and sales by local distribution companies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... NATURAL GAS POLICY ACT OF 1978 AND RELATED AUTHORITIES Blanket Certificates Authorizing Certain... to the jurisdiction of the Commission, by reason of section 1(c) of the Natural Gas Act. (b) Blanket... apply for a blanket certificate under this section. (2) Upon application for a certificate under this...

18 CFR 284.224 - Certain transportation and sales by local distribution companies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... NATURAL GAS POLICY ACT OF 1978 AND RELATED AUTHORITIES Blanket Certificates Authorizing Certain... to the jurisdiction of the Commission, by reason of section 1(c) of the Natural Gas Act. (b) Blanket... apply for a blanket certificate under this section. (2) Upon application for a certificate under this...

76 FR 13612 - Freebird Gas Storage, LLC; Notice of Request Under Blanket Authorization

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-14

... Storage, LLC; Notice of Request Under Blanket Authorization Take notice that on March 1, 2011, Freebird Gas Storage, LLC (Freebird) filed a Prior Notice Request pursuant to sections 157.205 and 157.208 of... blanket certificate for authorization to increase the storage capacity and deliverability at its East...

75 FR 19954 - Cheniere Marketing, LLC; Application for Blanket Authorization To Export Liquefied Natural Gas

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-16

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY [FE Docket No. 10-31-LNG] Cheniere Marketing, LLC; Application for Blanket... receipt of an application, filed on March 23, 2010, by Cheniere Marketing, LLC (CMI), requesting blanket... amended to reflect a name change from Cheniere Marketing, Inc to Cheniere Marketing, LLC.\\1\\ \\1\\ Cheniere...

Predicted and observed directional dependence of meteoroid/debris impacts on LDEF thermal blankets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drolshagen, Gerhard

1992-06-01

The number of impacts from meteoroids and space debris particles to the various Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) rows is calculated using ESABASE/DEBRIS, a 3-D numerical analysis tool. It is based on the latest environment flux models and includes geometrical and directional effects. A detailed comparison of model predictions and actual observations is made for impacts on the thermal blankets which covered the USCR experiment. Impact features on these blankets were studied intensively in European laboratories and hypervelocity impacts for calibration were performed. The thermal blankets were located on all LDEF rows, except 3, 9, and 12. Because of their uniform composition and thickness, these blankets allow a direct analysis of the directional dependence of impacts and provide a unique test case for the latest meteoroid and debris flux models.

Experimental studies on tungsten-armour impact on nuclear responses of solid breeding blanket

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Satoshi; Nakao, Makoto; Verzilov, Yury; Ochiai, Kentaro; Wada, Masayuki; Kubota, Naoyoshi; Kondo, Keitaro; Yamauchi, Michinori; Nishitani, Takeo

2005-07-01

In order to experimentally evaluate the tungsten armour impact on tritium production of the solid breeding blanket being developed by JAERI for tokamak-type DEMO reactors, neutronics integral experiments have been performed using DT neutrons at the Fusion Neutron Source facility of JAERI. Solid breeding blanket mockups relevant to the DEMO blanket have been applied in this study. The mockups are made of a set of layers consisting of 0-25.2 mm thick tungsten, 16 mm thick F82H, 12 mm thick Li2TiO3 and 100-200 mm thick beryllium with a cross-section of 660 × 660 mm in maximum. Pellets of Li2CO3 are embedded in the Li2TiO3 layers to measure the tritium production rate. By installing the 5 mm, 12.6 mm and 25.2 mm thick tungsten armours, the sum of the integrated tritium productions at the pellets are reduced by about 2.1%, 2.5% and 6.1% relative to the case without the armour, respectively. Numerical calculations have been conducted using the Monte Carlo code. In the case of the mockups with the tungsten armour, calculation results for the sum of the integrated tritium productions agree well with the experimental data within 4% and 19% in the experiments without and with a neutron reflector, respectively.

Fast breeder reactor protection system

DOEpatents

van Erp, J.B.

1973-10-01

Reactor protection is provided for a liquid-metal-fast breeder reactor core by measuring the coolant outflow temperature from each of the subassemblies of the core. The outputs of the temperature sensors from a subassembly region of the core containing a plurality of subassemblies are combined in a logic circuit which develops a scram alarm if a predetermined number of the sensors indicate an over temperature condition. The coolant outflow from a single subassembly can be mixed with the coolant outflow from adjacent subassemblies prior to the temperature sensing to increase the sensitivity of the protection system to a single subassembly failure. Coherence between the sensors can be required to discriminate against noise signals. (Official Gazette)

Safety approach to the selection of design criteria for the CRBRP reactor refueling system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meisl, C J; Berg, G E; Sharkey, N F

1979-01-01

The selection of safety design criteria for Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) refueling systems required the extrapolation of regulations and guidelines intended for Light Water Reactor refueling systems and was encumbered by the lack of benefit from a commercially licensed predecessor other than Fermi. The overall approach and underlying logic are described for developing safety design criteria for the reactor refueling system (RRS) of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP). The complete selection process used to establish the criteria is presented, from the definition of safety functions to the finalization of safety design criteria in the appropriate documents.more » The process steps are illustrated by examples.« less

Beryllium R&D for blanket application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donne, M. Dalle; Longhurst, G. R.; Kawamura, H.; Scaffidi-Argentina, F.

1998-10-01

The paper describes the main problems and the R&D for the beryllium to be used as neutron multiplier in blankets. As the four ITER partners propose to use beryllium in the form of pebbles for their DEMO relevant blankets (only the Russians consider the porous beryllium option as an alternative) and the ITER breeding blanket will use beryllium pebbles as well, the paper is mainly based on beryllium pebbles. Also the work on the chemical reactivity of fully dense and porous beryllium in contact with water steam is described, due to the safety importance of this point.

Disinfection of woollen blankets in steam at subatmospheric pressure

PubMed Central

Alder, V. G.; Gillespie, W. A.

1961-01-01

Blankets may be disinfected in steam at subatmospheric pressures by temperatures below boiling point inside a suitably adapted autoclave chamber. The chamber and its contents are thoroughly evacuated of air so as to allow rapid heat penetration, and steam is admitted to a pressure of 10 in. Hg below atmospheric pressure, which corresponds to a temperature of 89°C. Woollen blankets treated 50 times by this process were undamaged. Vegetative organisms were destroyed but not spores. The method is suitable for large-scale disinfection of blankets and for disinfecting various other articles which would be damaged at higher temperatures. PMID:13860203

Development and genetic characterization of an Advanced Backcross-Nested Association Mapping (AB-NAM) population of wild × cultivated barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The ability to access alleles from unadapted germplasm collections is a long-standing problem for geneticists and breeders. Here we developed, characterized, and demonstrated the utility of a wild barley advanced backcross-nested association mapping (AB-NAM) population. We developed this population ...

Genomics Opportunities, New Crops and New Products

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This chapter describes use of molecular markers and transgenics in development of new cultivars in a survey obtained from public and private sector breeders. It also reviews traits in Rosaceae crops for which markers are currently available for use in developing new crops. The surprising results a...

Genetic fingerprinting of potato varieties from the Northwest Potato Variety Development Program

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Northwest Potato Variety Development Program using conventional breeding has successfully released more than 40 improved varieties of potato since its inception in 1983. Potato breeders rely primarily on morphological and phenotypic data for selection and breeding of potato cultivars. With the a...

Identification and characterization of long noncoding RNAs and mRNAs expression profiles related to postnatal liver maturation of breeder roosters using Ribo-zero RNA sequencing.

PubMed

Wu, Shengru; Liu, Yanli; Guo, Wei; Cheng, Xi; Ren, Xiaochun; Chen, Si; Li, Xueyuan; Duan, Yongle; Sun, Qingzhu; Yang, Xiaojun

2018-06-27

The liver is mainly hematopoietic in the embryo, and converts into a major metabolic organ in the adult. Therefore, it is intensively remodeled after birth to adapt and perform adult functions. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in organ development and cell differentiation, likely they have potential roles in regulating postnatal liver development. Herein, in order to understand the roles of lncRNAs in postnatal liver maturation, we analyzed the lncRNAs and mRNAs expression profiles in immature and mature livers from one-day-old and adult (40 weeks of age) breeder roosters by Ribo-Zero RNA-Sequencing. Around 21,939 protein-coding genes and 2220 predicted lncRNAs were expressed in livers of breeder roosters. Compared to protein-coding genes, the identified chicken lncRNAs shared fewer exons, shorter transcript length, and significantly lower expression levels. Notably, in comparison between the livers of newborn and adult breeder roosters, a total of 1570 mRNAs and 214 lncRNAs were differentially expressed with the criteria of log 2 fold change > 1 or < - 1 and P values < 0.05, which were validated by qPCR using randomly selected five mRNAs and five lncRNAs. Further GO and KEGG analyses have revealed that the differentially expressed mRNAs were involved in the hepatic metabolic and immune functional changes, as well as some biological processes and pathways including cell proliferation, apoptotic and cell cycle that are implicated in the development of liver. We also investigated the cis- and trans- regulatory effects of differentially expressed lncRNAs on its target genes. GO and KEGG analyses indicated that these lncRNAs had their neighbor protein coding genes and trans-regulated genes associated with adapting of adult hepatic functions, as well as some pathways involved in liver development, such as cell cycle pathway, Notch signaling pathway, Hedgehog signaling pathway, and Wnt signaling pathway. This study provides a catalog of mRNAs and lncRNAs related to postnatal liver maturation of chicken, and will contribute to a fuller understanding of biological processes or signaling pathways involved in significant functional transition during postnatal liver development that differentially expressed genes and lncRNAs could take part in.

75 FR 59167 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900, and -900ER...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-27

... inner wall and insulation blankets). This proposed AD results from reports of heat damage to the inner... insulation blankets and heat transfer through the upper compression pad area and the fireseal bracket support... upper and lower inner wall insulation blankets, measuring the electrical conductivity on the aluminum...

78 FR 4400 - Eni USA Gas Marketing LLC; Application for Blanket Authorization To Export Previously Imported...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-22

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY [FE Docket No. 12-161-LNG] Eni USA Gas Marketing LLC; Application for Blanket..., by Eni USA Gas Marketing LLC (Eni USA Gas Marketing), requesting blanket authorization to export... U.S. law or policy. Eni USA Gas Marketing is requesting this authorization both on its own behalf...

Testing Seam Concepts for Advanced Multilayer Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chato, D. J.; Johnson, W. L.; Alberts, Samantha J.

2017-01-01

Multilayer insulation (MLI) is considered the state of the art insulation for cryogenic propellant tanks in the space environment. MLI traditionally consists of multiple layers of metalized films separated by low conductivity spacers. In order to better understand some of the details within MLI design and construction, GRC has been investigating the heat loads caused by multiple types of seams. To date testing has been completed with 20 layer and 50 layer blankets. Although a truly seamless blanket is not practical, a blanket lay-up where each individual layer was overlapped and tapped together was used as a baseline for the other seams tests. Other seams concepts tested included: an overlap where the complete blanket was overlapped on top of itself; a butt joint were the blankets were just trimmed and butted up against each other, and a staggered butt joint where the seam in the out layers is offset from the seam in the inner layers. Measured performance is based on a preliminary analysis of rod calibration tests conducted prior to the start of seams testing. Baseline performance for the 50 layer blanket showed a measured heat load of 0.46 Watts with a degradation to about 0.47 Watts in the seamed blankets. Baseline performance for the 20 layer blanket showed a measured heat load of 0.57 Watts. Heat loads for the seamed tests are still begin analyzed. So far analysis work has suggested the need for corrections due to heat loads from both the heater leads and the instrumentation wires. A careful re-examination of the calibration test results with these factors accounted for is also underway. This presentation will discuss the theory of seams in MLI, our test results to date, and the uncertainties in our measurements.

Optimizing charge breeding techniques for ISOL facilities in Europe: Conclusions from the EMILIE project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Delahaye, P., E-mail: delahaye@ganil.fr; Jardin, P.; Maunoury, L.

The present paper summarizes the results obtained from the past few years in the framework of the Enhanced Multi-Ionization of short-Lived Isotopes for Eurisol (EMILIE) project. The EMILIE project aims at improving the charge breeding techniques with both Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Sources (ECRIS) and Electron Beam Ion Sources (EBISs) for European Radioactive Ion Beam (RIB) facilities. Within EMILIE, an original technique for debunching the beam from EBIS charge breeders is being developed, for making an optimal use of the capabilities of CW post-accelerators of the future facilities. Such a debunching technique should eventually resolve duty cycle and time structuremore » issues which presently complicate the data-acquisition of experiments. The results of the first tests of this technique are reported here. In comparison with charge breeding with an EBIS, the ECRIS technique had lower performance in efficiency and attainable charge state for metallic ion beams and also suffered from issues related to beam contamination. In recent years, improvements have been made which significantly reduce the differences between the two techniques, making ECRIS charge breeding more attractive especially for CW machines producing intense beams. Upgraded versions of the Phoenix charge breeder, originally developed by LPSC, will be used at SPES and GANIL/SPIRAL. These two charge breeders have benefited from studies undertaken within EMILIE, which are also briefly summarized here.« less

Effects of different limestone particle sizes in the diet of broiler breeders post molting on their performance, egg quality, incubation results, and pre-starter performance of their progeny.

PubMed

Bueno, I J M; Surek, D; Rocha, C; Schramm, V G; Muramatsu, K; Dahlke, F; Maiorka, A

2016-04-01

An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that a coarse limestone diet improves productivity, reproductive performance and the calcium utilization of molted broiler breeders. In total, 640 broiler breeder females, 73-week-old and sixty-four 27-week-old cockerels, Cobb 500, were evaluated during 10 weeks, according to a randomized block design composed of 4 treatments with 8 replicates each. Treatments consisted of diets with the inclusion of 100% fine limestone-fine PS (0.2 mm GMD-geometric mean diameter); PS1: 30% fine limestone+70% limestone with 1.0 mm GMD; PS2: 30% fine limestone+70% limestone with 2.0 mm GMD; and PS3: 30% fine limestone+70% limestone with 3.0 mm GMD. Calcium retention in the gizzard of the breeders, bone characteristics, and breeder performance, egg characteristics, eggshell quality, incubation performance, chick quality and yield, chick pre-starter live performance, and chick bone characteristics were determined. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in the rate of lay, percentage of non-settable eggs, egg weight, egg shape index, egg specific gravity, eggshell weight, thickness, and percentage hatchability and egg weight loss of broiler breeders fed with diets with different limestone particle sizes. The chick quality and yield, chick pre-starter live performance, and chick bone characteristics were not affected (P>0.05) by any of the limestone particle sizes. It was concluded that live and reproductive performance parameters of broiler breeders post molting is not affected by limestone particle size in the feed. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Effect of Salmonella vaccination of breeder chickens on contamination of broiler chicken carcasses in integrated poultry operations.

PubMed

Dórea, Fernanda C; Cole, Dana J; Hofacre, Charles; Zamperini, Katherine; Mathis, Demetrius; Doyle, Michael P; Lee, Margie D; Maurer, John J

2010-12-01

While measures to control carcass contamination with Salmonella at the processing plant have been implemented with some success, on-farm interventions that reduce Salmonella prevalence in meat birds entering the processing plant have not translated well on a commercial scale. We determined the impact of Salmonella vaccination on commercial poultry operations by monitoring four vaccinated and four nonvaccinated breeder (parental) chicken flocks and comparing Salmonella prevalences in these flocks and their broiler, meat bird progeny. For one poultry company, their young breeders were vaccinated by using a live-attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium vaccine (Megan VAC-1) followed by a killed Salmonella bacterin consisting of S. enterica serovar Berta and S. enterica serovar Kentucky. The other participating poultry company did not vaccinate their breeders or broilers. The analysis revealed that vaccinated hens had a lower prevalence of Salmonella in the ceca (38.3% versus 64.2%; P < 0.001) and the reproductive tracts (14.22% versus 51.7%; P < 0.001). We also observed a lower Salmonella prevalence in broiler chicks (18.1% versus 33.5%; P < 0.001), acquired from vaccinated breeders, when placed at the broiler farms contracted with the poultry company. Broiler chicken farms populated with chicks from vaccinated breeders also tended to have fewer environmental samples containing Salmonella (14.4% versus 30.1%; P < 0.001). There was a lower Salmonella prevalence in broilers entering the processing plants (23.4% versus 33.5%; P < 0.001) for the poultry company that utilized this Salmonella vaccination program for its breeders. Investigation of other company-associated factors did not indicate that the difference between companies could be attributed to measures other than the vaccination program.

Comparison of immunodiffusion and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in the detection of abnormal antibodies in pigeon breeder's disease.

PubMed Central

Simpson, C.; Shirodaria, P. V.; Evans, J. P.; Simpson, D. I.; Stanford, C. F.

1992-01-01

AIMS: To compare the sensitivity of two methods for the detection of serum antibodies to pigeon faecal antigens in patients with pigeon breeder's disease. METHODS: Serum samples stored at -20 degrees C from 50 patients with pigeon breeder's disease, 50 control samples from patients with other respiratory diseases, and 50 healthy blood donors were examined for the precipitating antibodies and IgG antibodies to antigens present in extract of pigeon droppings by immunodiffusion and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. RESULTS: Both antigen preparations of pigeon dropping extract were equally effective. A positive immunodiffusion reaction gave one or more precipitin lines and these antibodies were detected only in undiluted sera from 80% of the patients with pigeon breeder's disease. In the ELISA the sera were tested at a starting dilution of 1 in 100 because positive reactions were observed with sera from healthy blood donors at lower dilutions. All sera which gave optical density readings above 3 SD of the control value were considered to have IgG antibodies. These antibodies were detected in sera from all the patients with pigeon breeder's disease. The antibody titres were much higher in those patients who had precipitating antibodies (range 800-51,200) than those without (range 100-800). The antibodies were not detected in the sera of patients with respiratory diseases or healthy blood donors by either method. CONCLUSIONS: Antibodies to pigeon dropping antigens were detected by immunodiffusion and ELISA in sera from patients with pigeon breeder's disease but not in control sera. ELISA was a more sensitive method for detecting antibodies and therefore seems to have considerable potential as a routine technique in the serological diagnosis of pigeon breeder's disease. PMID:1624596

Multilayer insulation blanket, fabricating apparatus and method

DOEpatents

Gonczy, John D.; Niemann, Ralph C.; Boroski, William N.

1992-01-01

An improved multilayer insulation blanket for insulating cryogenic structures operating at very low temperatures is disclosed. An apparatus and method for fabricating the improved blanket are also disclosed. In the improved blanket, each successive layer of insulating material is greater in length and width than the preceding layer so as to accommodate thermal contraction of the layers closest to the cryogenic structure. The fabricating apparatus has a rotatable cylindrical mandrel having an outer surface of fixed radius that is substantially arcuate, preferably convex, in cross-section. The method of fabricating the improved blanket comprises (a) winding a continuous sheet of thermally reflective material around the circumference of the mandrel to form multiple layers, (b) binding the layers along two lines substantially parallel to the edges of the circumference of the mandrel, (c) cutting the layers along a line parallel to the axle of the mandrel, and (d) removing the bound layers from the mandrel.

Method of fabricating a multilayer insulation blanket

DOEpatents

Gonczy, John D.; Niemann, Ralph C.; Boroski, William N.

1993-01-01

An improved multilayer insulation blanket for insulating cryogenic structures operating at very low temperatures is disclosed. An apparatus and method for fabricating the improved blanket are also disclosed. In the improved blanket, each successive layer of insulating material is greater in length and width than the preceding layer so as to accommodate thermal contraction of the layers closest to the cryogenic structure. The fabricating apparatus has a rotatable cylindrical mandrel having an outer surface of fixed radius that is substantially arcuate, preferably convex, in cross-section. The method of fabricating the improved blanket comprises (a) winding a continuous sheet of thermally reflective material around the circumference of the mandrel to form multiple layers, (b) binding the layers along two lines substantially parallel to the edges of the circumference of the mandrel, (c) cutting the layers along a line parallel to the axle of the mandrel, and (d) removing the bound layers from the mandrel.

Method of fabricating a multilayer insulation blanket

DOEpatents

Gonczy, J.D.; Niemann, R.C.; Boroski, W.N.

1993-07-06

An improved multilayer insulation blanket for insulating cryogenic structures operating at very low temperatures is disclosed. An apparatus and method for fabricating the improved blanket are also disclosed. In the improved blanket, each successive layer of insulating material is greater in length and width than the preceding layer so as to accommodate thermal contraction of the layers closest to the cryogenic structure. The fabricating apparatus has a rotatable cylindrical mandrel having an outer surface of fixed radius that is substantially arcuate, preferably convex, in cross-section. The method of fabricating the improved blanket comprises (a) winding a continuous sheet of thermally reflective material around the circumference of the mandrel to form multiple layers, (b) binding the layers along two lines substantially parallel to the edges of the circumference of the mandrel, (c) cutting the layers along a line parallel to the axle of the mandrel, and (d) removing the bound layers from the mandrel.

Multilayer insulation blanket, fabricating apparatus and method

DOEpatents

Gonczy, J.D.; Niemann, R.C.; Boroski, W.N.

1992-09-01

An improved multilayer insulation blanket for insulating cryogenic structures operating at very low temperatures is disclosed. An apparatus and method for fabricating the improved blanket are also disclosed. In the improved blanket, each successive layer of insulating material is greater in length and width than the preceding layer so as to accommodate thermal contraction of the layers closest to the cryogenic structure. The fabricating apparatus has a rotatable cylindrical mandrel having an outer surface of fixed radius that is substantially arcuate, preferably convex, in cross-section. The method of fabricating the improved blanket comprises (a) winding a continuous sheet of thermally reflective material around the circumference of the mandrel to form multiple layers, (b) binding the layers along two lines substantially parallel to the edges of the circumference of the mandrel, (c) cutting the layers along a line parallel to the axle of the mandrel, and (d) removing the bound layers from the mandrel. 7 figs.

A preliminary report on the study of the impact sites and particles of the solar maximum satellite thermal blanket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zook, H. A.

1985-01-01

A preliminary study of the work on examination of the impact pits in, or penetrations through, the thermal blankets of the Solar Maximum Satellite is presented. The three largest pieces of the thermal blanket were optically scanned with a total surface area of about one half square meter. Over 1500 impact sites of all sizes, including 432 impacts larger than 40 microns in diameter, have been documented. Craters larger in diameter than about 100 microns found on the 75 micron thick Kapton first sheet of the main electronics box blanket are actually holes and constitute perforations through the blanket. A summary of the impact pit population that were found is given. The chemical study of these craters is only in the initial stages, with only about 250 chemical spectra of particles observed in or around impact pits or in the debris pattern being recorded.

Effects of the tricothecene mycotoxin diacetoxyscirpenol on egg production of broiler breeders.

PubMed

Brake, J; Hamilton, P B; Kittrell, R S

2002-12-01

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) on egg quality and egg production of broiler breeders. In Experiment 1, feed containing 0, 1.25, 2.5, or 5.0 mg DAS/ kg was fed from 67 to 69 wk of age followed by a 3-wk recovery period on a slat-litter floor. In Experiment 2, individually caged broiler breeder females were studied from 23 to 31 wk of age. The basal diet containing 0, 5, 10, or 20 mg DAS/kg was fed from 25 to 27 wk of age. In Experiment 3, individually caged broiler breeder hens were studied from 23 to 32 wk of age. DAS was fed at levels of 0 (basal), 5, 10, and 20 mg DAS/kg for 2 wk beginning at Week 24, followed by the basal breeder diet for 7 wk. Egg production was not affected by levels of up to 5 mg DAS/kg in the older hens of Experiment 1. When fed from 25 to 27 wk of age in Experiment 2, DAS decreased egg production at the 20 mg/kg level only. When fed from 24 to 25 wk of age in Experiment 3, DAS had no significant effect on egg production or egg quality. Short-term consumption of DAS at levels that might naturally occur appears to have little effect on broiler breeder egg production.

Monte Carlo isotopic inventory analysis for complex nuclear systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phruksarojanakun, Phiphat

Monte Carlo Inventory Simulation Engine (MCise) is a newly developed method for calculating isotopic inventory of materials. It offers the promise of modeling materials with complex processes and irradiation histories, which pose challenges for current, deterministic tools, and has strong analogies to Monte Carlo (MC) neutral particle transport. The analog method, including considerations for simple, complex and loop flows, is fully developed. In addition, six variance reduction tools provide unique capabilities of MCise to improve statistical precision of MC simulations. Forced Reaction forces an atom to undergo a desired number of reactions in a given irradiation environment. Biased Reaction Branching primarily focuses on improving statistical results of the isotopes that are produced from rare reaction pathways. Biased Source Sampling aims at increasing frequencies of sampling rare initial isotopes as the starting particles. Reaction Path Splitting increases the population by splitting the atom at each reaction point, creating one new atom for each decay or transmutation product. Delta Tracking is recommended for high-frequency pulsing to reduce the computing time. Lastly, Weight Window is introduced as a strategy to decrease large deviations of weight due to the uses of variance reduction techniques. A figure of merit is necessary to compare the efficiency of different variance reduction techniques. A number of possibilities for figure of merit are explored, two of which are robust and subsequently used. One is based on the relative error of a known target isotope (1/R 2T) and the other on the overall detection limit corrected by the relative error (1/DkR 2T). An automated Adaptive Variance-reduction Adjustment (AVA) tool is developed to iteratively define parameters for some variance reduction techniques in a problem with a target isotope. Sample problems demonstrate that AVA improves both precision and accuracy of a target result in an efficient manner. Potential applications of MCise include molten salt fueled reactors and liquid breeders in fusion blankets. As an example, the inventory analysis of a liquid actinide fuel in the In-Zinerator, a sub-critical power reactor driven by a fusion source, is examined. The result reassures MCise as a reliable tool for inventory analysis of complex nuclear systems.

Evaluation of low cost/high temperature insulation, July 1974 - June 1975

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strauss, E. L.

1975-01-01

Six fiber products and six insulation blankets comprising silica, alumina, zirconia, mullite, and mixed ceramic systems were subjected to furnace exposures up to 500 hours at temperatures of 1000 to 1600 C and evaluated for chemical and dimensional stability and for changes in thermal conductivity. Alumina, zirconia, and mullite fibers were fabricated into reusable surface insulation (RSI) tile by water-felting and reimpregnation with ethyl silicate. Specimens were exposed to 25 thermal cycles at 1200 C and 1400 C and a pressure of 10 and 32 torr, respectively. Production costs for 930 sq m (10,000 sq ft) of blanket insulation and of alumina RSI tile were developed.

Aerogel: From Aerospace to Apparel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Aspen Systems Inc. developed an aerogel-manufacturing process solved the handling problems associated with aerogel-based insulation products. Their aerogels can now be manufactured into blankets, thin sheets, beads, and molded parts; and may be transparent, translucent, or opaque. Aspen made the material effective for window and skylight insulation, non-flammable building insulation, and inexpensive firewall insulation that will withstand fires in homes and buildings, and also assist in the prevention of forest fires. Another Aspen product is Spaceloft(TM); an inexpensive, flexible blanket that incorporates a thin layer of aerogel embedded directly into the fabric. Spaceloft, is incorporated into jackets intended for wear in extremely harsh conditions and activities, such as Antarctic expeditions.

Advanced glycation end-products as markers of aging and longevity in the long-lived Ansell's mole-rat (Fukomys anselli).

PubMed

Dammann, Philip; Sell, David R; Begall, Sabine; Strauch, Christopher; Monnier, Vincent M

2012-06-01

Mole-rat of the genus Fukomys are mammals whose life span is strongly influenced by reproductive status with breeders far outliving nonbreeders. This raises the important question of whether increased longevity of the breeders is reflected in atypical expression of biochemical markers of aging. Here, we measured markers of glycation and advanced glycation end-products formed in insoluble skin collagen of Ansell's mole-rat Fukomys anselli as a function of age and breeding status. Glucosepane, pentosidine, and total advanced glycation end-product content significantly increased with age after correction for breeder status and sex. Unexpectedly, total advanced glycation end-products, glucosepane, and carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) were significantly higher in breeders versus nonbreeders suggesting that breeders have evolved powerful defenses against combined oxidant and carbonyl stress compared with nonbreeders. Most interestingly, when compared with other mammals, pentosidine formation rate was lower in mole-rat compared with other short-lived rodents confirming previous observations of an inverse relationship between longevity and pentosidine formation rates in skin collagen.

Advanced Glycation End-Products as Markers of Aging and Longevity in the Long-Lived Ansell’s Mole-Rat (Fukomys anselli)

PubMed Central

Dammann, Philip; Begall, Sabine; Strauch, Christopher; Monnier, Vincent M.

2012-01-01

Mole-rat of the genus Fukomys are mammals whose life span is strongly influenced by reproductive status with breeders far outliving nonbreeders. This raises the important question of whether increased longevity of the breeders is reflected in atypical expression of biochemical markers of aging. Here, we measured markers of glycation and advanced glycation end-products formed in insoluble skin collagen of Ansell’s mole-rat Fukomys anselli as a function of age and breeding status. Glucosepane, pentosidine, and total advanced glycation end-product content significantly increased with age after correction for breeder status and sex. Unexpectedly, total advanced glycation end-products, glucosepane, and carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) were significantly higher in breeders versus nonbreeders suggesting that breeders have evolved powerful defenses against combined oxidant and carbonyl stress compared with nonbreeders. Most interestingly, when compared with other mammals, pentosidine formation rate was lower in mole-rat compared with other short-lived rodents confirming previous observations of an inverse relationship between longevity and pentosidine formation rates in skin collagen. PMID:22156473

Impact of transportation duration on stress responses in day-old chicks from young and old breeders.

PubMed

Jacobs, Leonie; Delezie, Evelyne; Duchateau, Luc; Goethals, Klara; Ampe, Bart; Buyse, Johan; Tuyttens, Frank Andre Maurice

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to assess the interaction effect of transportation duration and parental age on physiological stress responses and quality in day-old chicks. After hatch, 3240 chicks from either 29-week old (young) or 60-week old (old) broiler breeders were transported for 1.5h (short) or 11h (long). Thereafter, 228 chicks were assessed for quality and blood plasma was assayed for corticosterone (CORT), lactate, glucose, and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS, increased concentrations can indicate oxidative stress). No interaction effects of parental age and transportation duration were found (all P>0.10). Chicks from young breeders showed higher CORT levels (P=0.007) and were of higher quality (Tona method, P<0.001) than those from old breeders. After long transportation, chicks showed increased CORT (P<0.001) and lower TBARS levels (P<0.001) compared to after short transportation. No evidence was provided that long transportation differently affected the quality or stress responses of chicks from breeder flocks of two ages. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dedication: Major M. Goodman, Maize Breeder and Geneticist

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Major M. Goodman is the leading expert on the classification and use of the diverse genetic resources of maize. He pioneered the development and use of mathematical approaches to classification of diverse plant materials; had a primary role in the development of one of the first comprehensive plant ...

Development of microsatellites from Fothergilla xintermedia (Hamamelidaceae) and cross transfer to four other genera within Hamamelidaceae

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Premise of the study: Develop microsatellites from Fothergilla ×intermedia to establish loci capable of distinguishing species and cultivars, and assess genetic diversity for use by ornamental breeders, and for transfer within Hamamelidaceae. Methods and Results: A small insert genomic library enric...

What is the state of public cultivar development?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We surveyed all land grant universities in 2013 and found that the number of cultivar development programs decreased by 31% over the past 20 years. This is an alarming trend that causes plant breeders to assess the need for continued public plant breeding. The strongest argument for continuation o...

Can our chestnut survive another invasion?

Treesearch

Lynne K. Rieske; W. Rodney Cooper

2011-01-01

Plant breeders and land managers have been actively pursuing development of an American chestnut with desirable silvicultural characteristics that demonstrates resistance to the chestnut blight fungus. As progress towards development of a blight-resistant chestnut continues, questions arise as to how these plants will interact with pre-existing stresses. The Asian...

Addition of a breeding database in the Genome Database for Rosaceae

PubMed Central

Evans, Kate; Jung, Sook; Lee, Taein; Brutcher, Lisa; Cho, Ilhyung; Peace, Cameron; Main, Dorrie

2013-01-01

Breeding programs produce large datasets that require efficient management systems to keep track of performance, pedigree, geographical and image-based data. With the development of DNA-based screening technologies, more breeding programs perform genotyping in addition to phenotyping for performance evaluation. The integration of breeding data with other genomic and genetic data is instrumental for the refinement of marker-assisted breeding tools, enhances genetic understanding of important crop traits and maximizes access and utility by crop breeders and allied scientists. Development of new infrastructure in the Genome Database for Rosaceae (GDR) was designed and implemented to enable secure and efficient storage, management and analysis of large datasets from the Washington State University apple breeding program and subsequently expanded to fit datasets from other Rosaceae breeders. The infrastructure was built using the software Chado and Drupal, making use of the Natural Diversity module to accommodate large-scale phenotypic and genotypic data. Breeders can search accessions within the GDR to identify individuals with specific trait combinations. Results from Search by Parentage lists individuals with parents in common and results from Individual Variety pages link to all data available on each chosen individual including pedigree, phenotypic and genotypic information. Genotypic data are searchable by markers and alleles; results are linked to other pages in the GDR to enable the user to access tools such as GBrowse and CMap. This breeding database provides users with the opportunity to search datasets in a fully targeted manner and retrieve and compare performance data from multiple selections, years and sites, and to output the data needed for variety release publications and patent applications. The breeding database facilitates efficient program management. Storing publicly available breeding data in a database together with genomic and genetic data will further accelerate the cross-utilization of diverse data types by researchers from various disciplines. Database URL: http://www.rosaceae.org/breeders_toolbox PMID:24247530

Addition of a breeding database in the Genome Database for Rosaceae.

PubMed

Evans, Kate; Jung, Sook; Lee, Taein; Brutcher, Lisa; Cho, Ilhyung; Peace, Cameron; Main, Dorrie

2013-01-01

Breeding programs produce large datasets that require efficient management systems to keep track of performance, pedigree, geographical and image-based data. With the development of DNA-based screening technologies, more breeding programs perform genotyping in addition to phenotyping for performance evaluation. The integration of breeding data with other genomic and genetic data is instrumental for the refinement of marker-assisted breeding tools, enhances genetic understanding of important crop traits and maximizes access and utility by crop breeders and allied scientists. Development of new infrastructure in the Genome Database for Rosaceae (GDR) was designed and implemented to enable secure and efficient storage, management and analysis of large datasets from the Washington State University apple breeding program and subsequently expanded to fit datasets from other Rosaceae breeders. The infrastructure was built using the software Chado and Drupal, making use of the Natural Diversity module to accommodate large-scale phenotypic and genotypic data. Breeders can search accessions within the GDR to identify individuals with specific trait combinations. Results from Search by Parentage lists individuals with parents in common and results from Individual Variety pages link to all data available on each chosen individual including pedigree, phenotypic and genotypic information. Genotypic data are searchable by markers and alleles; results are linked to other pages in the GDR to enable the user to access tools such as GBrowse and CMap. This breeding database provides users with the opportunity to search datasets in a fully targeted manner and retrieve and compare performance data from multiple selections, years and sites, and to output the data needed for variety release publications and patent applications. The breeding database facilitates efficient program management. Storing publicly available breeding data in a database together with genomic and genetic data will further accelerate the cross-utilization of diverse data types by researchers from various disciplines. Database URL: http://www.rosaceae.org/breeders_toolbox.

Demonstration Tokamak Hybrid Reactor (DTHR) blanket design study, December 1978

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1978-01-01

This work represents only the second iteration of the conceptual design of a DTHR blanket; consequently, a number of issues important to a detailed blanket design have not yet been evaluated. The most critical issues identified are those of two-phase flow maldistribution, flow instabilities, flow stratification for horizontal radial inflow of boiling water, fuel rod vibrations, corrosion of clad and structural materials by high quality steam, fretting and cyclic loads. Approaches to minimizing these problems are discussed and experimental testing with flow mock-ups is recommended. These implications on a commercial blanket design are discussed and critical data needs are identified.

Microvibration and Centre-of-Gravity Shift Measurements on Thermally Stressed Thermal-Control Blankets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magg, Manfred; Grillenbeck, Anton, , Dr.

2004-08-01

Several samples of thermal control blankets were subjected to transient thermal loads in a thermal vacuum chamber in order to study their ability to excite micro- vibrations on a carrier structure and to cause tiny centre- of-gravity shifts. The reason for this investigation was driven by the GOCE project in order to minimize micro- vibrations on-board of the spacecraft while on-orbit. The objectives of this investigation were to better understand the mechanism which may produce micro- vibrations induced by the thermal control blankets, and to identify thermal control blanket lay-ups with minimum micro-vibration activity.

Improving proliferation resistance of high breeding gain generation 4 reactors using blankets composed of light water reactor waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hellesen, C.; Grape, S.; Haakanson, A.

2013-07-01

Fertile blankets can be used in fast reactors to enhance the breeding gain as well as the passive safety characteristics. However, such blankets typically result in the production of weapons grade plutonium. For this reason they are often excluded from Generation IV reactor designs. In this paper we demonstrate that using blankets manufactured directly from spent light water (LWR) reactor fuel it is possible to produce a plutonium product with non-proliferation characteristics on a par with spent LWR fuel of 30-50 MWd/kg burnup. The beneficial breeding and safety characteristics are retained. (authors)

Rice Breeding and World Food Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jennings, Peter R.

1974-01-01

Discusses the relation of technology to the green revolution, the role of plant breeders in inducing change in stagnant agriculture and the tools required by production scientists to increase yields of basic food crops in developing countries. (BR)

Are clownfish groups composed of close relatives? An analysis of microsatellite DNA variation in Amphiprion percula.

PubMed

Buston, Peter M; Bogdanowicz, Steven M; Wong, Alex; Harrison, Richard G

2007-09-01

A central question of evolutionary ecology is: why do animals live in groups? Answering this question requires that the costs and benefits of group living are measured from the perspective of each individual in the group. This, in turn, requires that the group's genetic structure is elucidated, because genetic relatedness can modulate the individuals' costs and benefits. The clown anemonefish, Amphiprion percula, lives in groups composed of a breeding pair and zero to four nonbreeders. Both breeders and nonbreeders stand to gain by associating with relatives: breeders might prefer to tolerate nonbreeders that are relatives because there is little chance that relatives will survive to breed elsewhere; nonbreeders might prefer to associate with breeders that are relatives because of the potential to accrue indirect genetic benefits by enhancing anemone and, consequently, breeder fitness. Given the potential benefits of associating with relatives, we use microsatellite loci to investigate whether or not individuals within groups of A. percula are related. We develop seven polymorphic microsatellite loci, with a number of alleles (range 2-24) and an observed level of heterozygosity (mean = 0.5936) sufficient to assess fine-scale genetic structure. The mean coefficient of relatedness among group members is 0.00 +/- 0.10 (n = 9 groups), and there are no surprising patterns in the distribution of pairwise relatedness. We conclude that A. percula live in groups of unrelated individuals. This study lays the foundation for further investigations of behavioural, population and community ecology of anemonefishes which are emerging as model systems for evolutionary ecology in the marine environment.

Campylobacter epidemiology from breeders to their progeny in Eastern Spain.

PubMed

Ingresa-Capaccioni, S; Jiménez-Trigos, E; Marco-Jiménez, F; Catalá, P; Vega, S; Marin, C

2016-03-01

While horizontal transmission is a route clearly linked to the spread of Campylobacter at the farm level, few studies support the transmission of Campylobacter spp. from breeder flocks to their offspring. Thus, the present study was carried out to investigate the possibility of vertical transmission. Breeders were monitored from the time of housing day-old chicks, then throughout the laying period (0 to 60 wk) and throughout their progeny (broiler fattening, 1 to 42 d) until slaughter. All samples were analyzed according with official method ISO 10272:2006. Results revealed that on breeder farms, Campylobacter isolation started from wk 16 and reached its peak at wk 26, with 57.0% and 93.2% of positive birds, respectively. After this point, the rate of positive birds decreased slightly to 86.0% at 60 wk. However, in broiler production all day-old chicks were found negative for Campylobacter spp, and the bacteria was first isolated at d 14 of age (5.0%), with a significant increase in detection during the fattening period with 62% of Campylobacter positive animals at the end of the production cycle. Moreover, non-positive sample was determined from environmental sources. These results could be explained because Campylobacter may be in a low concentration or in a non-culturable form, as there were several studies that successfully detected Campylobacter DNA, but failed to culture. This form can survive in the environment and infect successive flocks; consequently, further studies are needed to develop more modern, practical, cost-effective and suitable techniques for routine diagnosis. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Some Implications of the Three Mile Island Accident for LMFBR Safety and Licensing: The Design Basis Issue

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) design. It also re-examines the impact of the accident at Three Mile Island on the design basis concept, and how...Water Reactors : ImpZications for Liquid MetaZ Fast Breeder Reactors , by W. E. Kastenberg and K. A. Solomon, July 1979. v SUNMARY The 1979 accident...the liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR). This Note assesses the impact of the TMI-2 accident on the LMFBR. Specifically, it: o Reviews the

Development and validation of a breeder-friendly KASPar marker for wheat leaf rust resistance locus Lr21

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Development and utilization of genetic markers play a pivotal role in marker assisted breeding of wheat cultivars with pyramids of disease resistance genes. The objective of this study is to develop a closed tube, gel-free assay for high throughput genotyping of leaf rust resistance locus Lr21. Poly...

Effects of a 28-Day Cage-Change Interval on Intracage Ammonia Levels, Nasal Histology, and Perceived Welfare of CD1 Mice

PubMed Central

Vogelweid, Catherine M; Zapien, Kathleen A; Honigford, Matthew J; Li, Linghui; Li, Hua; Marshall, Heather

2011-01-01

We measured daily intracage ammonia levels and performed weekly assessments of CD1 male, female, and breeder mice housed within disposable, ventilated cages that remained unchanged for 28 d. We tested housing groups comprising 1, 3, or 5 sex-matched mice per cage and breeder pairs with litters. Mice housed in cages with higher concentrations of ammonia developed degeneration and inflammatory lesions in the nasal passages. Mean ammonia exposure levels that caused rhinitis were 181 ppm for 18 d. Ammonia exposures of 93 ppm for 16 d caused necrosis of the olfactory epithelium, whereas 52 ppm for 13 d caused epithelial degeneration. Observers could not detect visible signs of rhinitis or identify cages with elevated ammonia levels, nor did they identify any sick or distressed mice. Observers consistently assigned poorer welfare scores as cages became dirtier. We conclude that we can extend the cage-change interval to at least 28 d for disposable, ventilated caging housing a single CD1 mouse. Cages containing 3 CD1 mice of either sex should be changed biweekly, and cages containing 5 CD1 mice or breeder pairs should be changed at least once weekly. PMID:22330779

Viable Circumstances for Financial Negotiations in Pakistan Contracting Process

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

Submission BIW Bath Iron Works BPA Blanket Purchase Agreement CERP Center for Economic Research in Pakistan CICA Competition in Contracting Act CJCS...IDIQ contracts, blanket purchase agreements ( BPAs ), and contractors team arrangements (CTAs) by fulfilling all pre-requisites of government...wide commercial purchase card (FAR 13.301) 2. Purchase orders (FAR 13.302) 3. Blanket purchase agreements ( BPAs ; FAR13.303) 4. Imprest fund and

Neutron economic reactivity control system for light water reactors

DOEpatents

Luce, Robert G.; McCoy, Daniel F.; Merriman, Floyd C.; Gregurech, Steve

1989-01-01

A neutron reactivity control system for a LWBR incorporating a stationary seed-blanket core arrangement. The core arrangement includes a plurality of contiguous hexagonal shaped regions. Each region has a central and a peripheral blanket area juxapositioned an annular seed area. The blanket areas contain thoria fuel rods while the annular seed area includes seed fuel rods and movable thoria shim control rods.

Applications of the Aqueous Self-Cooled Blanket concept

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steiner, D.; Embrechts, M.J.; Varsamis, G.

1986-11-01

In this paper a novel water-cooled blanket concept is examined. This concept, designated the Aqueous Self-Cooled Blanket (ASCB), employs water with small amounts of dissolved fertile compounds as both the coolant and the breeding medium. The ASCB concept is reviewed and its application in three different contexts is examined: (1) power reactors; (2) near-term devices such as NET; and (3) fusion-fission hybrids.

32 CFR Appendix C to Part 310 - DoD Blanket Routine Uses

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false DoD Blanket Routine Uses C Appendix C to Part...) PRIVACY PROGRAM DOD PRIVACY PROGRAM Pt. 310, App. C Appendix C to Part 310—DoD Blanket Routine Uses (See paragraph (c) of § 310.22 of subpart E) A. Routine Use—Law Enforcement If a system of records maintained by...

Geomorphic clues to the Martian volatile inventory. 1: Flow ejecta blankets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pieri, D.; Baloga, S.; Norris, M.

1984-01-01

There are classes of landforms whose presence on Mars is strongly suggestive, if not confirmatory, of the participation of volatiles, presumably water, in its geomorphic development: (1) valley networks, (2) outflow channels, (3) landslides, and (4) flow-ejecta blankets. The first two may represent landforms generated by the movement of volatiles from sources, while the latter two probably represent the dissipation of energy generated by forcing inputs (e.g., kinetic energy and gravity) modulated by volatiles. In many areas on Mars, all four processes have acted on the same lithologic materials and were influenced by the composition of those units, and possibility by the climatic regime at the time of their formation. One of the approaches discussed to this specific problem of landform genesis, and to the general problem of the present and past states of martian volatiles, is to attempt to constrain the distribution, amount, and history of available volatiles by using possible evidence of volatile participation expressed in the morphology of other related landforms (e.g., flow-ejecta blankets and landslides) coupled with physical models for landform genesis.

Quantifying MLI Thermal Conduction in Cryogenic Applications from Experimental Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, R. G., Jr.

2015-12-01

Multilayer Insulation (MLI) uses stacks of low-emittance metalized sheets combined with low-conduction spacer features to greatly reduce the heat transfer to cryogenic applications from higher temperature surrounds. However, as the hot-side temperature decreases from room temperature to cryogenic temperatures, the level of radiant heat transfer drops as the fourth power of the temperature, while the heat transfer by conduction only falls off linearly. This results in cryogenic MLI being dominated by conduction, a quantity that is extremely sensitive to MLI blanket construction and very poorly quantified in the literature. To develop useful quantitative data on cryogenic blanket conduction, multilayer nonlinear heat transfer models are used to analyze extensive heat transfer data measured by Lockheed Palo Alto on their cryogenic dewar MLI and measured by JPL on their spacecraft MLI. The data-fitting aspect of the modeling allows the radiative and conductive thermal properties of the tested blankets to be explicitly quantified. Results are presented showing that MLI conductance varies by a factor of 600 between spacecraft MLI and Lockheed's best cryogenic MLI.

Geomorphic clues to the Martian volatile inventory. 1: Flow ejecta blankets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pieri, D.; Baloga, S.; Norris, M.

1984-04-01

There are classes of landforms whose presence on Mars is strongly suggestive, if not confirmatory, of the participation of volatiles, presumably water, in its geomorphic development: (1) valley networks, (2) outflow channels, (3) landslides, and (4) flow-ejecta blankets. The first two may represent landforms generated by the movement of volatiles from sources, while the latter two probably represent the dissipation of energy generated by forcing inputs (e.g., kinetic energy and gravity) modulated by volatiles. In many areas on Mars, all four processes have acted on the same lithologic materials and were influenced by the composition of those units, and possibility by the climatic regime at the time of their formation. One of the approaches discussed to this specific problem of landform genesis, and to the general problem of the present and past states of martian volatiles, is to attempt to constrain the distribution, amount, and history of available volatiles by using possible evidence of volatile participation expressed in the morphology of other related landforms (e.g., flow-ejecta blankets and landslides) coupled with physical models for landform genesis.

Evaluation of a drainage blanket in an asphalt shoulder section : interim report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-02-01

The aim of this research project was to develop a permeable, yet stable, hot mix asphaltic drainage system for a typical pavement section. Development of such systems should provide the Department with effective means of draining water from highway b...

BRENDA: a dynamic simulator for a sodium-cooled fast reactor power plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hetrick, D.L.; Sowers, G.W.

1978-06-01

This report is a users' manual for one version of BRENDA (Breeder Reactor Nuclear Dynamic Analysis), which is a digital program for simulating the dynamic behavior of a sodium-cooled fast reactor power plant. This version, which contains 57 differential equations, represents a simplified model of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project (CRBRP). BRENDA is an input deck for DARE P (Differential Analyzer Replacement, Portable), which is a continuous-system simulation language developed at the University of Arizona. This report contains brief descriptions of DARE P and BRENDA, instructions for using BRENDA in conjunction with DARE P, and some sample output. Amore » list of variable names and a listing for BRENDA are included as appendices.« less

Maxine M. Thompson - Dedication

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This manuscript summarizes the research career of Dr. Maxine M. Thompson, world renown horticulturist, plant breeder, and plant explorer. She became the first women professor at the Oregon State University, Deparment of Horticulture. She studied Rubus cytology and genetics and floral development in ...

Advances in disease-resistant varieties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soybean yields worldwide are reduced by a variety of diseases that affect plant stands, seed development, and/or seed quality, but soybean breeders, pathologists, and genomicists have made considerable progress in the identification, characterization and utilization of sources of resistance genes. M...

Breeding nursery tissue collection for possible genomic analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phenotyping is considered a major bottleneck in breeding programs. With new genomic technologies, high throughput genotype schemes are constantly being developed. However, every genomic technology requires phenotypic data to inform prediction models generated from the technology. Forage breeders con...

Analysis of UF6 breeder reactor power plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, J. D.; Rust, J. H.

1976-01-01

Gaseous UF6 fueled breeder reactor design and technical applications of such concepts are summarized. Special attention was given to application in nuclear power plants and to reactor efficiency and safety factors.

Tokamak blanket design study, final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1980-08-01

A cylindrical module concept was developed, analyzed, and incorporated in a tokamak blanket system that includes piping systems, vacuum boundary sealing, and support structures. The design is based on the use of state-of-the-art structural materials (20% cold-worked type 316 stainless steel), lithium as the breeding material, and pressurized helium as the coolant. The module design consists of nested concentric cylinders (with an outer diameter of 10 cm) and features direct wall cooling by helium flowing between the outer (first-wall) cylinder and the inner (lithium-containing) cylinder. Each cylinder can withstand full coolant pressure, thus enhancing reliability. Results show that stainless steelmore » is a viable material for a first wall subjected to a neutron wall loading of 4 MW/m/sup 2/ and a particle heat flux of 1 MW/m/sup 2/. Lifetime analysis shows that the first-wall design meets the goal of operating at 20-min cycles with 95% duty for 100,000 cycles. To reduce system complexity, a larger 20-cm-diam module also was analyzed for incorporation in the blanket assembly. Reliability assessment indicates that it may be possible to double the module in size from 10 to 20 cm in diameter. With a modest increase in coolant pumping power, a blanket assembly comprising 20-cm-diam modules can still achieve 100,000 operating cycles - equivalent to a 3.6-year design lifetime - with only one or two helium coolant leaks into the plasma.« less

Performance analysis of advanced spacecraft TPS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pitts, William C.

1991-01-01

Spacecraft entering a planetary atmosphere require a very sophisticated thermal protection system. The materials used must be tailored to each specific vehicle based on its planned mission profiles. Starting with the Space Shuttle, many types of ceramic insulation with various combinations of thermal properties have been developed by others. The development of two new materials is described: A Composite Flexible Blanket Insulation which has a significantly lower effective thermal conductivity than other ceramic blankets; and a Silicon Matrix Composite which has applications at high temperature locations such as wing leading edges. Also, a systematic study is described that considers the application of these materials for a proposed Personnel Launch System. The study shows how most of these available ceramic materials would perform during atmospheric entry of this vehicle. Other specific applications of these thermal protection materials are discussed.

Predicted and observed directional dependence of meteoroid/debris impacts on LDEF thermal blankets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drolshagen, Gerhard

1993-01-01

The number of impacts from meteoroids and space debris particles to the various LDEF rows is calculated using ESABASE/DEBRIS, a 3-D numerical analysis tool. It is based on recent reference environment flux models and includes geometrical and directional effects. A comparison of model predictions and actual observations is made for penetrations of the thermal blankets which covered the UHCR experiment. The thermal blankets were located on all LDEF rows, except 3, 9, and 12. Because of their uniform composition and thickness, these blankets allow a direct analysis of the directional dependence of impacts and provide a test case for the latest meteoroid and debris flux models.

An active target for the accelerator-based transmutation system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grebyonkin, K.F.

1995-10-01

Consideration is given to the possibility of radical reduction in power requirements to the proton accelerator of the electronuclear reactor due to neutron multiplication both in the blanket and the target of an active material. The target is supposed to have the fast-neutron spectrum, and the blanket-the thermal one. The blanket and the target are separated by the thermal neutrons absorber, which is responsible for the neutron decoupling of the active target and blanket. Also made are preliminary estimations which illustrate that the realization of the idea under consideration can lead to significant reduction in power requirements to the protonmore » beam and, hence considerably improve economic characteristics of the electronuclear reactor.« less

HEAT TRANSFER AND TRITIUM PRODUCING SYSTEM

DOEpatents

Johnson, E.F.

1962-06-01

This invention related to a circulating lithium-containing blanket system in a neution source hav'ing a magnetic field associated therewith. The blanket serves simultaneously and efficiently as a heat transfer mediunm and as a source of tritium. The blanket is composed of a lithium-6-enriched fused salt selected from the group consisting of lithium nitrite, lithium nitrate, a mixture of said salts, a mixture of each of said salts with lithium oxide, and a mixture of said salts with each other and with lithium oxide. The moderator, which is contained within the blanket in a separate conduit, can be water. A stellarator is one of the neutron sources which can be used in this invention. (AEC)

Accelerator-Driven Subcritical System for Disposing of the U.S. Spent Nuclear Fuel Inventory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gohar, Yousry; Cao, Yan; Kraus, Adam R.

The current United States inventory of the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is ~80,000 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM), including ~131 tons of minor actinides (MAs) and ~669 tons of plutonium. This study describes a conceptual design of an accelerator-driven subcritical (ADS) system for disposing of this SNF inventory by utilizing the 131 tons of MAs inventory and a fraction of the plutonium inventory for energy production, and transmuting some long-lived fission products. An ADS system with a homogeneous subcritical fission blanket was first examined. A spallation neutron source is used to drive the blanket and it is produced frommore » the interaction of a 1-GeV proton beam with a lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) target. The blanket has a liquid mobile fuel using LBE as the fuel carrier. The fuel materials are dissolved, mixed, or suspended in the liquid fuel carrier. Monte Carlo analyses were performed to determine the overall parameters of the concept. Steady-state Monte Carlo simulations were performed for three similar fission blankets. Except for, the loaded amount of actinide materials in the LBE is either 5, 7, or 10% of the total volume of the blanket, respectively. The neutron multiplication factors of the three blankets are ~0.98 and the initial MAs blanket inventories are ~10 tons. In addition, Monte Carlo burnup simulations using the MCB5 code were performed to analyze the performance of the three conceptual ADS systems. During operation, fresh fuel was fed into the fission blanket to adjust its reactivity and to control the system power. The burnup analysis shows that the three ADS concepts consume about 1.2 tons of actinides per full power year and produce 3 GW thermal power, with a proton beam power of 25 MW. For the blankets with 5, 7, or 10% actinide fuel particles loaded in the LBE, assuming that the ADS systems can be operated for 35 full-power years, the total MA materials consumed in the three ADS systems are about 30.6, 35.3, and 37.2 tons, respectively. Thus, the corresponding numbers of ADS systems to utilize the 131 tons of MA materials of the SNF inventory are 4.3, 3.7, or 3.5, respectively. ADS concepts with tube bundles inserted in the fission blanket were analyzed to overcome the disadvantages of the homogeneous blanket concept. The liquid lead is used as the target material, the mobile fuel carrier, and the primary coolant to avoid the polonium production from bismuth. Reactor physics and thermal-hydraulic analyses were coupled to determine the parameters of the heterogeneous fission blanket. The engineering requirements for a satisfactory operation performance of the HT-9 ferritic steel structure material have been realized. Two heterogeneous concepts of the subcritical fission blanket with the liquid lead mobile fuel inside or outside the tube bundles were considered. The heterogeneous configuration with the mobile fuel inside the tubes showed better performance than the configuration with mobile fuel outside the bundle tubes. The Monte Carlo burnup codes, MCB5 and SERPENT were both used to simulate the fuel burnup in the ADS concepts with the mobile fuels inside the tubes. The burnup analyses were carried out for 35 full power years. The results show that 5 ADS systems can dispose of the total United States inventory of the spent nuclear fuel.« less

Effects of the LDEF environment on the Ag/FEP thermal blankets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levadou, Francois; Pippin, H. Gary

1992-01-01

This presentation was made by Francois Levadou at the NASA Langley Research Center LDEF materials workshop, November 19-22, 1991. It represents the results to date on the examination of silvered teflon thermal blankets primarily from the Ultra-heavy Cosmic Ray Experiment and also from the blanket from the Park Seed Company experiment. ESA/ESTEC and Boeing conducted a number of independent measurements on the blankets and in particular on the exposed fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP) layer of the blankets. Mass loss, thickness, and thickness profile measurements have been used by ESA, Boeing, and NASA LeRC to determine recession and average erosion yield under atomic oxygen exposure. Tensile strength and percent elongation to failure data, surface characterization by ESCA, and SEM images are presented. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory analysis of vacuum radiation effects is also presented. The results obtained by the laboratories mentioned and additional results from the Aerospace Corporation on samples provided by Boeing are quite similar and give confidence in the validity of the data.

Aerogel Blanket Insulation Materials for Cryogenic Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coffman, B. E.; Fesmire, J. E.; White, S.; Gould, G.; Augustynowicz, S.

2009-01-01

Aerogel blanket materials for use in thermal insulation systems are now commercially available and implemented by industry. Prototype aerogel blanket materials were presented at the Cryogenic Engineering Conference in 1997 and by 2004 had progressed to full commercial production by Aspen Aerogels. Today, this new technology material is providing superior energy efficiencies and enabling new design approaches for more cost effective cryogenic systems. Aerogel processing technology and methods are continuing to improve, offering a tailor-able array of product formulations for many different thermal and environmental requirements. Many different varieties and combinations of aerogel blankets have been characterized using insulation test cryostats at the Cryogenics Test Laboratory of NASA Kennedy Space Center. Detailed thermal conductivity data for a select group of materials are presented for engineering use. Heat transfer evaluations for the entire vacuum pressure range, including ambient conditions, are given. Examples of current cryogenic applications of aerogel blanket insulation are also given. KEYWORDS: Cryogenic tanks, thermal insulation, composite materials, aerogel, thermal conductivity, liquid nitrogen boil-off

An electrically conductive thermal control surface for spacecraft encountering Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) atomic oxygen indium tin oxide-coated thermal blankets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, J. L.

1987-01-01

An organic black thermal blanket material was coated with indium tin oxide (ITO) to prevent blanket degradation in the low Earth orbit (LEO) atomic oxygen environment. The blankets were designed for the Galileo spacecraft. Galileo was initially intended for space shuttle launch and would, therefore, have been exposed to atomic oxygen in LEO for between 10 and 25 hours. Two processes for depositing ITO are described. Thermooptical, electrical, and chemical properties of the ITO film are presented as a function of the deposition process. Results of exposure of the ITO film to atomic oxygen (from a shuttle flight) and radiation exposure (simulated Jovian environment) are also presented. It is shown that the ITO-protected thermal blankets would resist the anticipated LEO oxygen and Jovian radiation yet provide adequate thermooptical and electrical resistance. Reference is made to the ESA Ulysses spacecraft, which also used ITO protection on thermal control surfaces.

Evaluations of Silica Aerogel-Based Flexible Blanket as Passive Thermal Control Element for Spacecraft Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasan, Mohammed Adnan; Rashmi, S.; Esther, A. Carmel Mary; Bhavanisankar, Prudhivi Yashwantkumar; Sherikar, Baburao N.; Sridhara, N.; Dey, Arjun

2018-03-01

The feasibility of utilizing commercially available silica aerogel-based flexible composite blankets as passive thermal control element in applications such as extraterrestrial environments is investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that aerogel blanket was thermally stable over - 150 to 126 °C. The outgassing behavior, e.g., total mass loss, collected volatile condensable materials, water vapor regained and recovered mass loss, was within acceptable range recommended for the space applications. ASTM tension and tear tests confirmed the material's mechanical integrity. The thermo-optical properties remained nearly unaltered in simulated space environmental tests such as relative humidity, thermal cycling and thermo-vacuum tests and confirmed the space worthiness of the aerogel. Aluminized Kapton stitched or anchored to the blanket could be used to control the optical transparency of the aerogel. These outcomes highlight the potential of commercial aerogel composite blankets as passive thermal control element in spacecraft. Structural and chemical characterization of the material was also done using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Acoustic contributions of a sound absorbing blanket placed in a double panel structure: absorption versus transmission.

PubMed

Doutres, Olivier; Atalla, Noureddine

2010-08-01

The objective of this paper is to propose a simple tool to estimate the absorption vs. transmission loss contributions of a multilayered blanket unbounded in a double panel structure and thus guide its optimization. The normal incidence airborne sound transmission loss of the double panel structure, without structure-borne connections, is written in terms of three main contributions; (i) sound transmission loss of the panels, (ii) sound transmission loss of the blanket and (iii) sound absorption due to multiple reflections inside the cavity. The method is applied to four different blankets frequently used in automotive and aeronautic applications: a non-symmetric multilayer made of a screen in sandwich between two porous layers and three symmetric porous layers having different pore geometries. It is shown that the absorption behavior of the blanket controls the acoustic behavior of the treatment at low and medium frequencies and its transmission loss at high frequencies. Acoustic treatment having poor sound absorption behavior can affect the performance of the double panel structure.

Myelogenous leukemia and electric blanket use.

PubMed

Preston-Martin, S; Peters, J M; Yu, M C; Garabrant, D H; Bowman, J D

1988-01-01

In a case-control study of adult acute and chronic myelogenous leukemia in Los Angeles County, we tested the hypothesis that excess exposure to electromagnetic fields from electric blankets was associated with risk of leukemia. We did this by studying 116 cases of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and 108 cases of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) along with matched neighborhood controls. The cases and controls were queried as to electric blanket use and the risks computed. For AML the risk was 0.9 (95% CI 0.5-1.6) and for CML the risk was 0.8 (95% CI 0.4-1.6). Cases did not differ from controls by duration of use, year of first regular use, year since last use, or socioeconomic status. Our best estimates of exposure indicate that electric blanket use increases overall exposure to electric fields by less than 50% and magnetic fields by less than 100%. We conclude that there is no major leukemogenic risk associated with electric blanket use in Los Angeles County.

Lightweight Thermal Insulation for a Liquid-Oxygen Tank

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willen, G. Scott; Lock, Jennifer; Nieczkoski, Steve

2005-01-01

A proposed lightweight, reusable thermal-insulation blanket has been designed for application to a tank containing liquid oxygen, in place of a non-reusable spray-on insulating foam. The blanket would be of the multilayer-insulation (MLI) type and equipped with a pressure-regulated nitrogen purge system. The blanket would contain 16 layers in two 8-layer sub-blankets. Double-aluminized polyimide 0.3 mil (.0.008 mm) thick was selected as a reflective shield material because of its compatibility with oxygen and its ability to withstand ionizing radiation and high temperature. The inner and outer sub-blanket layers, 1 mil (approximately equals 0.025 mm) and 3 mils (approximately equals 0.076 mm) thick, respectively, would be made of the double-aluminized polyimide reinforced with aramid. The inner and outer layers would provide structural support for the more fragile layers between them and would bear the insulation-to-tank attachment loads. The layers would be spaced apart by lightweight, low-thermal-conductance netting made from polyethylene terephthalate.

Interim waste storage for the Integral Fast Reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Benedict, R.W.; Phipps, R.D.; Condiff, D.W.

1991-01-01

The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR), which Argonne National Laboratory is developing, is an innovative liquid metal breeder reactor that uses metallic fuel and has a close coupled fuel recovery process. A pyrochemical process is used to separate the fission products from the actinide elements. These actinides are used to make new fuel for the reactor. As part of the overall IFR development program, Argonne has refurbished an existing Fuel Cycle Facility at ANL-West and is installing new equipment to demonstrate the remote reprocessing and fabrication of fuel for the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II). During this demonstration the wastes thatmore » are produced will be treated and packaged to produce waste forms that would be typical of future commercial operations. These future waste forms would, assuming Argonne development goals are fulfilled, be essentially free of long half-life transuranic isotopes. Promising early results indicate that actinide extraction processes can be developed to strip these isotopes from waste stream and return them to the IFR type reactors for fissioning. 1 fig.« less

Ionization efficiency studies with charge breeder and conventional electron cyclotron resonance ion source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koivisto, H., E-mail: hannu.koivisto@phys.jyu.fi; Tarvainen, O.; Toivanen, V.

2014-02-15

Radioactive Ion Beams play an increasingly important role in several European research facility programs such as SPES, SPIRAL1 Upgrade, and SPIRAL2, but even more for those such as EURISOL. Although remarkable advances of ECRIS charge breeders (CBs) have been achieved, further studies are needed to gain insight on the physics of the charge breeding process. The fundamental plasma processes of charge breeders are studied in the frame of the European collaboration project, EMILIE, for optimizing the charge breeding. Important information on the charge breeding can be obtained by conducting similar experiments using the gas mixing and 2-frequency heating techniques withmore » a conventional JYFL 14 GHz ECRIS and the LPSC-PHOENIX charge breeder. The first experiments were carried out with noble gases and they revealed, for example, that the effects of the gas mixing and 2-frequency heating on the production of high charge states appear to be additive for the conventional ECRIS. The results also indicate that at least in the case of noble gases the differences between the conventional ECRIS and the charge breeder cause only minor impact on the production efficiency of ion beams.« less

Strategic Sourcing and Spend Analysis: A Case Study of the Naval Postgraduate School

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

ABBREVIATIONS ADP Administrative Processing Data AFIT Air Force Institute of Technology AT&L Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics BPA Blanket...in awarding 74 blanket purchase agreements ( BPAs ) with various discounts less than the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) pricing. While the cost savings...the NPS contracting office can tailor specific contract vehicles, whether blanket purchase agreements ( BPAs ) 43 or IDIQs, to suit the needs of the

32 CFR Appendix C to Part 806b - DoD ‘Blanket Routine Uses’

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false DoD âBlanket Routine Usesâ C Appendix C to Part... PRIVACY ACT PROGRAM Pt. 806b, App. C Appendix C to Part 806b—DoD ‘Blanket Routine Uses’ Certain DoD... the issuance of a license, grant, or other benefit. c. Disclosure of Requested Information Routine Use...

32 CFR Appendix C to Part 806b - DoD ‘Blanket Routine Uses’

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false DoD âBlanket Routine Usesâ C Appendix C to Part... PRIVACY ACT PROGRAM Pt. 806b, App. C Appendix C to Part 806b—DoD ‘Blanket Routine Uses’ Certain DoD... the issuance of a license, grant, or other benefit. c. Disclosure of Requested Information Routine Use...

Influence of nuclear data uncertainties on thorium fusion-fission hybrid blanket nucleonic performance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheng, E.T.; Mathews, D.R.

1979-09-01

The fusion-fission hybrid blanket proposed for the Tandem Mirror Hybrid Reactor employs thorium metal as the fertile material. Based on the ENDF/B-IV nuclear data, the /sup 233/U and tritium production rate and blanket energy multiplication averaged over the blanket lifetime of about 9 MW-yr/m/sup 2/ are 0.76 and 1.12 per D-T neutron and 4.8, respectively. At the time of the blanket discharge, the /sup 233/U enrichment in the thorium metal is about 3%. The thorium cross sections given by the ENDF/B-IV and V were reviewed, and the important partial cross sections such as (n,2n), (n,3n), and (n,..gamma..) were found tomore » be known to +-10 to 20% in the respective energy range of interest. A sensitivity study showed that the /sup 233/U and tritium production rate and blanket energy multiplication are relatively sensitive to the thorium capture and fission cross section uncertainties. In order to predict the above parameters within +-1%, the Th(n,..gamma..) and Th(n,..nu..f) cross sections must be measured within about +-2% in the energy range 3 to 3000 keV and 13.5 to 15 MeV, respectively.« less

Assessing Ink Transfer Performance of Gravure-Offset Fine-Line Circuitry Printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Hsien-Chie; Chen, You-Wei; Chen, Wen-Hwa; Lu, Su-Tsai; Lin, Shih-Ming

2018-03-01

In this study, the printing mechanism and performance of gravure-offset fine-line circuitry printing technology are investigated in terms of key printing parameters through experimental and theoretical analyses. First, the contact angles of the ink deposited on different substrates, blankets, and gravure metal plates are experimentally determined; moreover, their temperature and solvent content dependences are analyzed. Next, the ink solvent absorption and evaporation behaviors of the blankets at different temperatures, times, and numbers of printing repetitions are characterized by conducting experiments. In addition, while printing repeatedly, the surface characteristics of the blankets, such as the contact angle, vary with the amount of absorbed ink solvent, further affecting the ink transfer performance (ratio) and printing quality. Accordingly, the surface effect of the blanket due to ink solvent absorption on the ink contact angle is analyzed. Furthermore, the amount of ink transferred from the gravure plate to the blanket in the "off process" and from the blanket to the substrate in the "set process" is evaluated by conducting a simplified plate-to-plate experiment. The influences of loading rate (printing velocity), temperature, and solvent content on the ink transfer performance are addressed. Finally, the ink transfer mechanism is theoretically analyzed for different solvent contents using Surface Evolver. The calculation results are compared with those of the experiment.

Preventing hypothermia: comparison of current devices used by the US Army in an in vitro warmed fluid model.

PubMed

Allen, Paul B; Salyer, Steven W; Dubick, Michael A; Holcomb, John B; Blackbourne, Lorne H

2010-07-01

The purpose of this study was to develop an in vitro torso model constructed with fluid bags and to determine whether this model could be used to differentiate between the heat prevention performance of devices with active chemical or radiant forced-air heating systems compared with passive heat loss prevention devices. We tested three active (Hypothermia Prevention Management Kit [HPMK], Ready-Heat, and Bair Hugger) and five passive (wool, space blankets, Blizzard blankets, human remains pouch, and Hot Pocket) hypothermia prevention products. Active warming devices included products with chemically or electrically heated systems. Both groups were tested on a fluid model warmed to 37 degrees C versus a control with no warming device. Core temperatures were recorded every 5 minutes for 120 minutes in total. Products that prevent heat loss with an actively heated element performed better than most passive prevention methods. The original HPMK achieved and maintained significantly higher temperatures than all other methods and the controls at 120 minutes (p < 0.05). None of the devices with an actively heated element achieved the sustained 44 degrees C that could damage human tissue if left in place for 6 hours. The best passive methods of heat loss prevention were the Hot Pocket and Blizzard blanket, which performed the same as two of the three active heating methods tested at 120 minutes. Our in vitro fluid bag "torso" model seemed sensitive to detect heat loss in the evaluation of several active or passive warming devices. All active and most passive devices were better than wool blankets. Under conditions near room temperature, passive warming methods (Blizzard blanket or the Hot Pocket) were as effective as active warming devices other than the original HPMK. Further studies are necessary to determine how these data can translate to field conditions in preventing heat loss in combat casualties.

Development and trial manufacturing of 1/2-scale partial mock-up of blanket box structure for fusion experimental reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashimoto, Toshiyuki; Takatsu, Hideyuki; Sato, Satoshi

1994-07-01

Conceptual design of breeding blanket has been discussed during the CDA (Conceptual Design Activities) of ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor). Structural concept of breeding blanket is based on box structure integrated with first wall and shield, which consists of three coolant manifolds for first wall, breeding and shield regions. The first wall must have cooling channels to remove surface heat flux and nuclear heating. The box structure includes plates to form the manifolds and stiffening ribs to withstand enormous electromagnetic load, coolant pressure and blanket internal (purge gas) pressure. A 1/2-scale partial model of the blanket box structure for the outboard side module near midplane is manufactured to estimate the fabrication technology, i.e. diffusion bonding by HIP (Hot Isostatic Pressing) and EBW (Electron Beam Welding) procedure. Fabrication accuracy is a key issue to manufacture first wall panel because bending deformation during HIP may not be small for a large size structure. Data on bending deformation during HIP was obtained by preliminary manufacturing of HIP elements. For the shield structure, it is necessary to reduce the welding strain and residual stress of the weldment to establish the fabrication procedure. Optimal shape of the parts forming the manifolds, welding locations and welding sequence have been investigated. In addition, preliminary EBW tests have been performed in order to select the EBW conditions, and fundamental data on built-up shield have been obtained. Especially, welding deformation by joining the first wall panel to the shield has been measured, and total deformation to build-up shield by EBW has been found to be smaller than 2 mm. Consequently, the feasibility of fabrication technologies has been successfully demonstrated for a 1m-scaled box structure including the first wall with cooling channels by means of HIP, EBW and TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas arc)-welding.

Fusion materials: Technical evaluation of the technology of vandium alloys for use as blanket structural materials in fusion power systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1993-08-01

The Committee's evaluation of vanadium alloys as a structural material for fusion reactors was constrained by limited data and time. The design of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor is still in the concept stage, so meaningful design requirements were not available. The data on the effect of environment and irradiation on vanadium alloys were sparse, and interpolation of these data were made to select the V-5Cr-5Ti alloy. With an aggressive, fully funded program it is possible to qualify a vanadium alloy as the principal structural material for the ITER blanket in the available 5 to 8-year window. However, the data base for V-5Cr-5Ti is limited and will require an extensive development and test program. Because of the chemical reactivity of vanadium the alloy will be less tolerant of system failures, accidents, and off-normal events than most other candidate blanket structural materials and will require more careful handling during fabrication of hardware. Because of the cost of the material more stringent requirements on processes, and minimal historical working experience, it will cost an order of magnitude to qualify a vanadium alloy for ITER blanket structures than other candidate materials. The use of vanadium is difficult and uncertain; therefore, other options should be explored more thoroughly before a final selection of vanadium is confirmed. The Committee views the risk as being too high to rely solely on vanadium alloys. In viewing the state and nature of the design of the ITER blanket as presented to the Committee, it is obvious that there is a need to move toward integrating fabrication, welding, and materials engineers into the ITER design team. If the vanadium alloy option is to be pursued, a large program needs to be started immediately. The commitment of funding and other resources needs to be firm and consistent with a realistic program plan.

Polyimide-Foam/Aerogel Composites for Thermal Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Martha; Fesmire, James; Sass, Jared; Smith, Trent; Weoser. Erol

2009-01-01

Composites of specific types of polymer foams and aerogel particles or blankets have been proposed to obtain thermal insulation performance superior to those of the neat polyimide foams. These composites have potential to also provide enhanced properties for vibration dampening or acoustic attenuation. The specific type of polymer foam is denoted "TEEK-H", signifying a series, denoted H, within a family of polyimide foams that were developed at NASA s Langley Research Center and are collectively denoted TEEK (an acronym of the inventors names). The specific types of aerogels include Nanogel aerogel particles from Cabot Corporation in Billerica, MA. and of Spaceloft aerogel blanket from Aspen Aerogels in Northborough, MA. The composites are inherently flame-retardant and exceptionally thermally stable. There are numerous potential uses for these composites, at temperatures from cryogenic to high temperatures, in diverse applications that include aerospace vehicles, aircraft, ocean vessels, buildings, and industrial process equipment. Some low-temperature applications, for example, include cryogenic storage and transfer or the transport of foods, medicines, and chemicals. Because of thermal cycling, aging, and weathering most polymer foams do not perform well at cryogenic temperatures and will undergo further cracking over time. The TEEK polyimides are among the few exceptions to this pattern, and the proposed composites are intended to have all the desirable properties of TEEK-H foams, plus improved thermal performance along with enhanced vibration or acoustic-attenuation performance. A composite panel as proposed would be fabricated by adding an appropriate amount of TEEK friable balloons into a mold to form a bottom layer. A piece of flexible aerogel blanket material, cut to the desired size and shape, would then be placed on the bottom TEEK layer and sandwiched between another top layer of polyimide friable balloons so that the aerogel blanket would become completely encased in an outer layer of TEEK friable balloons. Optionally, the process could be further repeated to produce multiple aerogel-blanket layers interspersed with and encased by TEEK friable balloons.

77 FR 41993 - Privacy Act of 1974; Proposed New Routine Use-HUD's Routine Use Inventory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5613-N-07] Privacy Act of 1974... Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Chief Information Officer, is establishing 24 ``blanket... the Rules Docket Clerk, Office of General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451...

Microbiological sampling of spacecraft cabling, antennas, solar panels and thermal blankets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koukol, R. C.

1973-01-01

Sampling procedures and techniques described resulted from various flight project microbiological monitoring programs of unmanned planetary spacecraft. Concurrent with development of these procedures, compatibility evaluations were effected with the cognizant spacecraft subsystem engineers to assure that degradation factors would not be induced during the monitoring program. Of significance were those areas of the spacecraft configuration for which special handling precautions and/or nonstandard sample gathering techniques were evolved. These spacecraft component areas were: cabling, high gain antenna, solar panels, and thermal blankets. The compilation of these techniques provides a historical reference for both the qualification and quantification of sampling parameters as applied to the Mariner Spacecraft of the late 1960's and early 1970's.

Advances in marker-assisted breeding of sugarcane

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Despite the challenges posed by sugarcane, geneticists and breeders have actively sought to use DNA marker technology to enhance breeding efforts. Markers have been used to explore taxonomy, estimate genetic diversity, and to develop unique molecular fingerprints. Numerous studies have been undertak...

Q Fever (Coxiella burnetii) Knowledge and Attitudes of Australian Cat Breeders and Their Husbandry Practices.

PubMed

Shapiro, A J; Norris, J M; Bosward, K L; Heller, J

2017-06-01

A Q fever outbreak in a small animal veterinary hospital, associated with a cat caesarean section, initiated a cat seroprevalence study (n = 712) that found circulating antibodies to Coxiella burnetii was highest in cattery-confined breeding cats (9.3%). These findings stimulated interest about potential sources of C. burnetii infection for cats and humans associated with cats. Cat breeders are potentially a group at increased risk of C. burnetii infection, and this study sought to identify potential risk factors. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted targeting all domestic cat breeders registered with an affiliate member body in Australia in 2015. Responses from 177 cat breeders across Australia were analysed. Forty per cent of responding cat breeders had not heard of Q fever. Raw meat was fed as an integral constituent of the diet by 89% of respondents. Eighty per cent of respondents allowed queens access to the home for parturition, and assistance of queens and resuscitation of kittens at the time of birth were reported by 97% of respondents. Respondents who perceived some level of exposure to Q fever through their breeding activities were three times less likely to perform mouth-to-snout resuscitation (OR 0.3 95% CI 0.1-0.9; P = 0.034) than those who did not perceive a risk of exposure. Similarly, respondents who perceived Q fever as a risk through breeding activities were close to eight times more likely to use personal protective equipment during parturition (OR 7.7 95% CI 1.5-39.9; P = 0.015) than those who did not. Husbandry practices of cat breeders that may increase the risk of C. burnetii transmission require further targeted investigations to assess the contribution of these risk factors to the acquisition of disease. Concurrent education forums are recommended to inform Australian cat breeders of the aetiopathogenesis of Q fever. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Apparent inferiority of first-time breeders in the kittiwake: The role of heterogeneity among age classes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cam, E.; Monnat, J.-Y.

2000-01-01

1. Many studies have provided evidence that first-time breeders have a lower survival, a lower probability of success, or of breeding, in the following year. Hypotheses based on reproductive costs have often been proposed to explain this. However, because of the intrinsic relationship between age and experience, the apparent inferiority of first-time breeders at the population level may result from selection, and experience may not influence performance within each individual. In this paper we address the question of phenotypic correlations between fitness components. This addresses differences in individual quality, a prerequisite for a selection process to occur. We also test the hypothesis of an influence of experience on these components while taking age and reproductive success into account: two factors likely to play a key role in a selection process. 2. Using data from a long-term study on the kittiwake, we found that first-time breeders have a lower probability of success, a lower survival and a lower probability of breeding in the next year than experienced breeders. However, neither experienced nor inexperienced breeders have a lower survival or a lower probability of breeding in the following year than birds that skipped a breeding opportunity. This suggests heterogeneity in quality among individuals. 3. Failed birds have a lower survival and a lower probability of breeding in the following year regardless of experience. This can be interpreted in the light of the selection hypothesis. The inferiority of inexperienced breeders may be linked to a higher proportion of lower-quality individuals in younger age classes. When age and breeding success are controlled for, there is no evidence of an influence of experience on survival or future breeding probability. 4. Using data from individuals whose reproductive life lasted the same number of years, we investigated the influence of experience on reproductive performance within individuals. There is no strong evidence that a process operating within individuals explains the improvement in performance observed at the population level.

The use of antibiotics in cattle in North-East Benin: pharmaceutical inventory and risk practices of cattle breeders.

PubMed

Dognon, S R; Antoine-Moussiaux, N; Douny, C; Gustin, P; Moula, N; Scippo, M L; Youssao, A K I

2018-05-07

This study's aim is to inventory antibiotics used in cattle in North-East Benin and assess risk practices that could be the cause of both food chain contamination by antibiotic residues and selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in animals and humans. A survey was conducted among 98 cattle breeders in the districts of Banikoara, Kandi, Bembereke, and Kalale in North Benin. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, covering breeder status, breeding system, and antibiotic use. Multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical classification analysis were conducted to establish a breeder typology. Breeders mainly belonged to the Fulani ethnic group (71.4 ± 8.9%) and almost all of them received "no formal education" (96.9 ± 3.4%). Cattle herds were mainly composed of a single breed, the Borgou (76.4 ± 8.1%) or the Fulani Zebu (16.0 ± 7.0%). Some herds were mixed. Antibiotics groups used in cattle breeding were tetracyclines, beta-lactams, sulfonamides, aminoglycosides, and macrolides, used by respectively 100%, 69.4 ± 9.1%, 56.1 ± 9.8%, 44.9 ± 9.8%, and 34.7 ± 9.4% of breeders. These drugs were purchased in local markets (59.0 ± 15.4%) and veterinary pharmacy (41.0 ± 15.4%). They were mainly used against respiratory diseases, lameness, mastitis, omphalitis and neonatal enteritis, and skin diseases. Only 49.0 ± 9.9% of breeders seek veterinary services to treat animals and 92.9 ± 5.1% of them did not respect antibiotic withdrawal times. These practices suggest that both contamination of bovine meat with antibiotic residues and selection of resistant bacteria are to be expected, resulting in adverse health effects on consumers.

Assembly, Integration, and Test Methods for Operationally Responsive Space Satellites

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

like assembly and vibration tests, to ensure there have been no failures induced by the activities. External thermal control blankets and radiator...configuration of the satellite post- vibration test and adds time to the process. • Thermal blanketing is not realistic with current technology or...patterns for thermal blankets and radiator tape. The computer aided drawing (CAD) solid model was used to generate patterns that were cut and applied real

LIFE Materials: Thermomechanical Effects Volume 5 - Part I

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Caro, M; DeMange, P; Marian, J

2009-05-07

Improved fuel performance is a key issue in the current Laser Inertial-Confinement Fusion-Fission Energy (LIFE) engine design. LIFE is a fusion-fission engine composed of a {approx}40-tons fuel blanket surrounding a pulsed fusion neutron source. Fusion neutrons get multiplied and moderated in a Beryllium blanket before penetrating the subcritical fission blanket. The fuel in the blanket is composed of millions of fuel pebbles, and can in principle be burned to over 99% FIMA without refueling or reprocessing. This report contains the following chapters: Chapter A: LIFE Requirements for Materials -- LIFE Fuel; Chapter B: Summary of Existing Knowledge; Chapter C: Identificationmore » of Gaps in Knowledge & Vulnerabilities; and Chapter D: Strategy and Future Work.« less

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, KSC employee Joel Smith prepares an area on the orbiter Discovery for blanket installation. The blankets are part of the Orbiter Thermal Protection System, thermal shields to protect against temperatures as high as 3,000° Fahrenheit, which are produced during descent for landing. Discovery is scheduled to fly on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-12-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, KSC employee Joel Smith prepares an area on the orbiter Discovery for blanket installation. The blankets are part of the Orbiter Thermal Protection System, thermal shields to protect against temperatures as high as 3,000° Fahrenheit, which are produced during descent for landing. Discovery is scheduled to fly on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, KSC employee Nadine Phillips prepares an area on the orbiter Discovery for blanket installation. The blankets are part of the Orbiter Thermal Protection System, thermal shields to protect against temperatures as high as 3,000° Fahrenheit, which are produced during descent for landing. Discovery is scheduled to fly on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-12-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, KSC employee Nadine Phillips prepares an area on the orbiter Discovery for blanket installation. The blankets are part of the Orbiter Thermal Protection System, thermal shields to protect against temperatures as high as 3,000° Fahrenheit, which are produced during descent for landing. Discovery is scheduled to fly on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station.

Design of an arc-free thermal blanket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fellas, C. N.

1981-01-01

The success of a multilayer thermal blanket in eliminating arcing is discussed. Arcing is eliminated by limiting the surface potential to well below the threshold level for discharge. This is achieved by enhancing the leakage current which results in conduction of the excess charge to the spacecraft structure. The thermal blanket consists of several layers of thermal control (space approved) materials, bonded together, with Kapton on the outside, arranged in such a way that when the outer surface is charged by electron irradiation, a strong electric field is set up on the Kapton layer resulting in a greatly improved conductivity. The basic properties of matter utilized in designing this blanket method of charge removal, and optimum thermo-optical properties are summarized.

TBM/MTM for HTS-FNSF: An innovative testing strategy to qualify/validate fusion technologies for U.S. DEMO

DOE PAGES

El-Guebaly, Laila; Rowcliffe, Arthur; Menard, Jonathan; ...

2016-08-11

The qualification and validation of nuclear technologies are daunting tasks for fusion demonstration (DEMO) and power plants. This is particularly true for advanced designs that involve harsh radiation environment with 14 MeV neutrons and high-temperature operating regimes. This paper outlines the unique qualification and validation processes developed in the U.S., offering the only access to the complete fusion environment, focusing on the most prominent U.S. blanket concept (the dual cooled PbLi (DCLL)) along with testing new generations of structural and functional materials in dedicated test modules. The venue for such activities is the proposed Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF), whichmore » is viewed as an essential element of the U.S. fusion roadmap. A staged blanket testing strategy has been developed to test and enhance the DCLL blanket performance during each phase of FNSF D-T operation. A materials testing module (MTM) is critically important to include in the FNSF as well to test a broad range of specimens of future, more advanced generations of materials in a relevant fusion environment. Here, the most important attributes for MTM are the relevant He/dpa ratio (10–15) and the much larger specimen volumes compared to the 10–500 mL range available in the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) and European DEMO-Oriented Neutron Source (DONES).« less

FLOCK-BASED SURVEILLANCE FOR LOW PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS IN COMMERCIAL BREEDERS AND LAYERS, SOUTHWEST NIGERIA.

PubMed

Oluwayelu, Daniel Oladimeji; Omolanwa, Ayoyimika; Adebiyi, Adebowale Idris; Aiki-Raji, Oluladun Comfort

2017-01-01

Flock surveillance systems for avian influenza (AI) virus play a critical role in countries where vaccination is not practiced so as to establish the epidemiological characteristics of AI needed for the development of prevention and control strategies in such countries. As part of routine AI monitoring in southwest Nigeria, a competitive ELISA was used for detecting influenza A virus antibodies in the sera of 461 commercial breeder and layer birds obtained from different flocks in Oyo State, Nigeria while haemagglutination inhibiting antibodies against low pathogenic AI viruses (LPAIVs) were detected using H5N2, H7N7 and H9N2 subtype-specific antigens. Suspensions prepared from cloacal swabs were tested for AI virus RNA using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Results showed that influenza A virus antibody prevalence was 12.8% and 9.3% for breeders and layers, respectively while HI assay revealed 22.0%, 2.0% and 78.0% prevalence of LPAIV H5N2, H7N7 and H9N2 antibodies respectively. All cloacal swab suspensions were negative for AIV RNA. Since LPAI infections result in decreased or complete cessation of egg production in breeder and layer birds, increased infection severity due to co-infection with other poultry viruses have occasionally been transmitted to humans, the detection of LPAIV H5N2, H7N7 and H9N2 antibodies in these birds is of both economic and public health significance. These findings underscore the need for continuous flock monitoring as part of early warning measure to facilitate rapid detection and sustainable control of AI in Nigerian poultry.

Measurements of charge state breeding efficiency at BNL test EBIS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kondrashev, S.; Alessi, J.; Beebe, E.N.

Charge breeding of singly charged ions is required to efficiently accelerate rare isotope ion beams for nuclear and astrophysics experiments, and to enhance the accuracy of low-energy Penning trap-assisted spectroscopy. An efficient charge breeder for the Californium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) to the ANL Tandem Linear Accelerator System (ATLAS) facility is being developed using the BNL Test Electron Beam Ion Source (Test EBIS) as a prototype. Parameters of the CARIBU EBIS charge breeder are similar to those of the BNL Test EBIS except the electron beam current will be adjustable in the range from 1 to 2 {angstrom}. Themore » electron beam current density in the CARIBU EBIS trap will be significantly higher than in existing operational charge state breeders based on the EBIS concept. The charge state breeding efficiency is expected to be about 25% for the isotope ions extracted from the CARIBU. For the success of our EBIS project, it is essential to demonstrate high breeding efficiency at the BNL Test EBIS tuned to the regime close to the parameters of the CARIBU EBIS at ANL. The breeding efficiency optimization and measurements have been successfully carried out using a Cs{sup +} surface ionization ion source for externally pulsed injection into the BNL Test EBIS. A Cs{sup +} ion beam with a total number of ions of 5 x 10{sup 8} and optimized pulse length of 70 {mu}s has been injected into the Test EBIS and charge-bred for 5.3 ms for two different electron beam currents 1 and 1.5 {angstrom}. In these experiments we have achieved 70% injection/extraction efficiency and breeding efficiency into the most abundant charge state 17%.« less

Methods of fertility control in cats: Owner, breeder and veterinarian behavior and attitudes.

PubMed

Murray, Jane K; Mosteller, Jill R; Loberg, Jenny M; Andersson, Maria; Benka, Valerie A W

2015-09-01

Fertility control is important for population management of owned and unowned cats, provides health benefits at the individual level and can reduce unwanted sexually dimorphic behaviors such as roaming, aggression, spraying and calling. This article reviews the available evidence regarding European and American veterinarian, owner and pedigree cat breeder attitudes toward both surgical sterilization and non-surgical fertility control. It additionally presents new data on veterinarians' and pedigree cat breeders' use of, and attitudes toward, alternative modalities of fertility control. Within the United States and Europe, the proportion of cats reported to be sterilized varies widely. Published estimates range from 27-93% for owned cats and 2-5% for cats trapped as part of a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program. In some regions and populations of cats, non-surgical fertility control is also used. Social context, cultural norms, individual preferences, economic considerations, legislation and professional organizations may all influence fertility control decisions for cats. Particularly in Europe, a limited number of non-surgical temporary contraceptives are available for cats; these include products with regulatory approval for cats as well as some used 'off label'. Non-surgical methods remove the risk of complications related to surgery and offer potential to treat more animals in less time and at lower cost; they may also appeal to pedigree cat breeders seeking temporary contraception. However, concerns over efficacy, delivery methods, target species safety, duration and side effects exist with current non-surgical options. Research is under way to develop new methods to control fertility in cats without surgery. US and European veterinarians place high value on three perceived benefits of surgical sterilization: permanence, behavioral benefits and health benefits. Non-surgical options will likely need to share these benefits to be widely accepted by the veterinary community. © The Author(s) 2015.

Effect of litter quality on foot pad dermatitis, hock burns and breast blisters in broiler breeders during the production period.

PubMed

Kaukonen, Eija; Norring, Marianna; Valros, Anna

2016-12-01

Foot pad dermatitis and hock burn lesions are a form of contact dermatitis, a condition affecting skin areas in contact with unsuitable or irritating material. Contact dermatitis is a common problem, reducing the welfare of broilers, and is believed to also affect broiler breeders. However, there is very little research on contact dermatitis in breeders. This study followed the severity of foot pad lesions in broiler breeders throughout the production period. At slaughter the presence of hock burns and breast blisters was also determined. In addition, changes in litter condition over time and the impact of litter quality on foot pads were evaluated. The study was performed on 10 broiler breeder farms, including altogether 18 flocks. Foot pads of 100 hens per flock were assessed at the end of rearing period, three times during the production period, and at slaughter. Foot pad and hock lesions, as well as litter condition were scored on a 5-point scale. Litter quality was evaluated as pH, moisture and ammonia content. The condition of foot pads deteriorated towards slaughter age, with the occurrence of severe lesions reaching a maximum of 64% on average at slaughter. Hock lesions and breast blisters were rare. The litter layer became drier over time. Although poorer litter condition and wetness influenced foot pad health negatively, the effect on severe lesions was not significant. We also observed a negative effect on foot pad condition of larger slat areas. In conclusion, maintaining good litter quality alone is not enough to ensure healthy foot pads in broiler breeders.

The broiler breeder paradox: ethical, genetic and physiological perspectives, and suggestions for solutions.

PubMed

Decuypere, E; Bruggeman, V; Everaert, N; Li, Yue; Boonen, R; De Tavernier, J; Janssens, S; Buys, N

2010-10-01

1. Due to intensive selection, broiler chickens became the most efficient meat-producing animals because of their fast growth, supported by a virtually unlimited voluntary feed intake. These characteristics cause many problems in the management of broiler breeder hens because of the negative correlation between muscle growth and reproduction effectiveness. 2. This problem, namely the fast muscle growth versus reproduction health paradox, induces a second paradox, acceptable reproduction and health versus hunger stress and impaired welfare, because broiler breeder hens require dedicated programmes of feed restriction (1) to maximise egg and chick production and (2) to avoid metabolic disorders and mortality in broiler breeders. 3. Given that poultry selection is a global large-scale business and chickens are a prolific species, improvement in profit can only be obtained by selecting on feed conversion and/or for higher breast meat percentage, which will intensify the broiler-breeder paradox. 4. New feeding strategies are being studied, but it is questionable if the paradox can be solved by management tools alone. Because breeding and selection are long-term processes, involving animals, farmers, consumers, industry, environment etc., a more sustainable breeding goal needs to be determined by a multidisciplinary approach and an open debate between several actors in the discussion. 5. Using dwarf broiler breeder hens could be one alternative, because dwarf hens combine relatively good reproductive fitness with ad libitum feeding. Another possibility is to accept lower broiler productivity by assigning economic values to welfare and including integrity traits in an extended breeding goal.

Composition Optimization of Lithium-Based Ternary Alloy Blankets for Fusion Reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jolodosky, Alejandra

The goal of this dissertation is to examine the neutronic properties of a novel type of fusion reactor blanket material in the form of lithium-based ternary alloys. Pure liquid lithium, first proposed as a blanket for fusion reactors, is utilized as both a tritium breeder and a coolant. It has many attractive features such as high heat transfer and low corrosion properties, but most importantly, it has a very high tritium solubility and results in very low levels of tritium permeation throughout the facility infrastructure. However, lithium metal vigorously reacts with air and water and presents plant safety concerns including degradation of the concrete containment structure. The work of this thesis began as a collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in an effort to develop a lithium-based ternary alloy that can maintain the beneficial properties of lithium while reducing the reactivity concerns. The first studies down-selected alloys based on the analysis and performance of both neutronic and activation characteristics. First, 3-D Monte Carlo calculations were performed to evaluate two main neutronics performance parameters for the blanket: tritium breeding ratio (TBR), and energy multiplication factor (EMF). Alloys with adequate results based on TBR and EMF calculations were considered for activation analysis. Activation simulations were executed with 50 years of irradiation and 300 years of cooling. It was discovered that bismuth is a poor choice due to achieving the highest decay heat, contact dose rates, and accident doses. In addition, it does not meet the waste disposal ratings (WDR). The straightforward approach to obtain Monte Carlo TBR and EMF results required 231 simulations per alloy and became computationally expensive, time consuming, and inefficient. Consequently, alternate methods were pursued. A collision history-based methodology recently developed for the Monte Carlo code Serpent, calculates perturbation effects on practically any quantity of interest. This allows multiple responses to be calculated by perturbing the input parameter without having to directly perform separate calculations. The approach is strictly created for critical systems, but was utilized as the basis of a new methodology implemented for fixed source problems, known as Exact Perturbation Theory (EPT). EPT can calculate the tritium breeding ratio response, caused by a perturbation in the composition of the ternary alloy. The downfall of EPT methodology is that it cannot account for the collision history at large perturbations and thus, produces results with high uncertainties. Preliminary analysis for EPT with Serpent for a LiPbBa alloy demonstrated that 25 simulations per ternary must be completed so that most uncertainties calculated at large perturbations do not exceed 0.05. To reduce the uncertainties of the results, generalized least squares (GSL) method was implemented, to replace imprecise TBR results with more accurate ones. It was demonstrated that a combination of EPT Serpent calculations with the application of GLS for results with high uncertainties is the most effective and produces values with the highest fidelity. The scheme finds an alloy composition that has a TBR within a range of interest, while imposing constraint on the EMF, and a requirement to minimize lithium concentration. It involved a three-level iteration process with each level zooming in closer on the area of interest to fine tune the correct composition. Both alloys studied, LiPbBa and LiSnZn, had optimized compositions close to the leftmost edge of the ternary, increasing the complexity of optimization due to the highly uncertain results found in these regions. Additional GPT methodologies were considered for optimization studies, specifically with the use of deterministic codes. Currently, an optimization deterministic code, SMORES, is available in the SCALE code package, but only for critical systems. Subsequently, it was desired to change this code to solve problems for fusion reactors similarly to what was done in SWAN. So far, the fixed and adjoint source declaration and definition was added to the input file. As a result, alterations were made to the source code so that it can read in and utilize the new input information. Due to time constraints, only a detailed outline has been created that includes the steps one has to take to make the transition of SMORES from critical systems to fixed source problems. Additional time constraints limited the goal to perform chemical reactivity experiments on candidate alloys. Nevertheless, a review of past experiments was done and it was determined that large-scale experiments seem more appropriate for the purpose of this work, as they would better depict how the alloys would behave in the actual reactor environment. Both air and water reactions should be considered when examining the potential chemical reactions of the lithium alloy.

The Age of Substitutability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goeller, H. E.; Weinberg, Alvin M.

1976-01-01

Dwindling mineral resources might cause a shift from nonrenewable resources to renewable resources and inexhaustible elements such as iron and aluminum. Alternative energy sources such as breeder, fusion, solar, and geothermal power must be developed for production and recycling of materials. Substitution and, hence, living standards ultimately…

Heterogeneous variances in multi-environment yield trials for corn hybrids

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recent developments in statistics and computing have enabled much greater levels of complexity in statistical models of multi-environment yield trial data. One particular feature of interest to breeders is simultaneously modeling heterogeneity of variances among environments and cultivars. Our obj...

Design and Development of an In-Space Deployable Sun Shield for the Atlas Centaur

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dew, Michael; Allwein, Kirk; Kutter, Bernard; Ware, Joanne; Lin, John; Madlangbayan, Albert; Willey, Cliff; Pitchford, Brian; O'Neil, Gary

2008-01-01

The Centaur, by virtue of its use of high specific-impulse (Isp) LO2/LH2 propellants, has initial mass-to-orbit launch requirements less than half of those upper stages using storable propellants. That is, for Earth escape or GSO missions the Centaur is half the launch weight of a storable propellant upper stage. A drawback to the use of Liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, at 90 K and 20 K respectively, over storable propellants is the necessity of efficient cryogen storage techniques that minimize boil-off from thermal radiation in space. Thermal blankets have been used successfully to shield both the Atlas Centaur and Titan Centaur. These blankets are protected from atmospheric air loads during launch by virtue of the fact that the Centaur is enclosed within the payload fairing. The smaller Atlas V vehicle, the Atlas 400, has the Centaur exposed to the atmosphere during launch, and therefore, to date has not flown with thermal blankets shielding the Centaur. A design and development effort is underway to fly a thermal shield on the Atlas V 400 vehicle that is not put in place until after the payload fairing jettisons. This can be accomplished by the use of an inflatable and deployable thermal blanket referred to as the Centaur Sun Shield (CSS). The CSS design is also scalable for use on a Delta upper stage, and the technology potentially could be used for telescope shades, re-entry shields, solar sails and propellant depots. A Phase I effort took place during 2007 in a partnership between ULA and ILC Dover which resulted in a deployable proof-of-concept Sun Shield being demonstrated at a test facility in Denver. A Phase H effort is underway during 2008 with a partnership between ULA, ILC, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to define requirements, determine materials and fabrication techniques, and to test components in a vacuum chamber at cold temperatures. This paper describes the Sun Shield development work to date, and the future plans leading up to a flight test in the 2011 time frame.

Space Photovoltaic Research and Technology 1980. High Efficiency, Radiation Damage and Blanket Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The application of silicon solar cells are discussed with respect to their importance in the exploration of space. Several aspects of the technology associated with the development of photovoltaic devices are reported.

Analyses of Hubble Space Telescope Aluminized-Teflon Multilayer Insulation Blankets Retrieved After 19 Years of Space Exposure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

de Groh, Kim K.; Perry, Bruce A.; Mohammed, Jelila S.; Banks, Bruce

2015-01-01

Since its launch in April 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has made many important observations from its vantage point in low Earth orbit (LEO). However, as seen during five servicing missions, the outer layer of multilayer insulation (MLI) has become increasingly embrittled and has cracked in many areas. In May 2009, during the 5th servicing mission (called SM4), two MLI blankets were replaced with new insulation and the space-exposed MLI blankets were retrieved for degradation analyses by teams at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The retrieved MLI blankets were from Equipment Bay 8, which received direct sunlight, and Equipment Bay 5, which received grazing sunlight. Each blanket was divided into several regions based on environmental exposure and/or physical appearance. The aluminized-Teflon (DuPont, Wilmington, DE) fluorinated ethylene propylene (Al-FEP) outer layers of the retrieved MLI blankets have been analyzed for changes in optical, physical, and mechanical properties, along with chemical and morphological changes. Pristine and as-retrieved samples (materials) were heat treated to help understand degradation mechanisms. When compared to pristine material, the analyses have shown how the Al-FEP was severely affected by the space environment. Most notably, the Al-FEP was highly embrittled, fracturing like glass at strains of 1 to 8 percent. Across all measured properties, more significant degradation was observed for Bay 8 material as compared to Bay 5 material. This paper reviews the tensile and bend-test properties, density, thickness, solar absorptance, thermal emittance, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) elemental composition measurements, surface and crack morphologies, and atomic oxygen erosion yields of the Al-FEP outer layer of the retrieved HST blankets after 19 years of space exposure.

Experimental impacts into Teflon targets and LDEF thermal blankets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoerz, F.; Cintala, M. J.; Zolensky, M. E.; Bernhard, R. P.; See, T. H.

1994-03-01

The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) exposed approximately 20 sq m of identical thermal protective blankets, predominantly on the Ultra-Heavy Cosmic Ray Experiment (UHCRE). Approximately 700 penetration holes greater than 300 micron in diameter were individually documented, while thousands of smaller penetrations and craters occurred in these blankets. As a result of their 5.7 year exposure and because they pointed into a variety of different directions relative to the orbital motion of the nonspinning LDEF platform, these blankets can reveal important dynamic aspects of the hypervelocity particle environment in near-earth orbit. The blankets were composed of an outer teflon layer (approximately 125 micron thick), followed by a vapor-deposited rear mirror of silver (less than 1000 A thick) that was backed with an organic binder and a thermal protective paint (approximately 50 to 75 micron thick), resulting in a cumulative thickness (T) of approximately 175 to 200 microns for the entire blanket. Many penetrations resulted in highly variable delaminations of the teflon/metal or metal/organic binder interfaces that manifest themselves as 'dark' halos or rings, because of subsequent oxidation of the exposed silver mirror. The variety of these dark albedo features is bewildering, ranging from totally absent, to broad halos, to sharp single or multiple rings. Over the past year experiments were conducted over a wide range of velocities (i.e., 1 to 7 km/s) to address velocity dependent aspects of cratering and penetrations of teflon targets. In addition, experiments were performed with real LDEF thermal blankets to duplicate the LDEF delaminations and to investigate a possible relationship of initial impact conditions on the wide variety of dark halo and ring features.

Annular seed-blanket thorium fuel core concepts for heavy water moderated reactors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bromley, B.P.; Hyland, B.

2013-07-01

New reactor concepts to implement thorium-based fuel cycles have been explored to achieve maximum resource utilization. Pressure tube heavy water reactors (PT-HWR) are highly advantageous for implementing the use of thorium-based fuels because of their high neutron economy and on-line re-fuelling capability. The use of heterogeneous seed-blanket core concepts in a PT-HWR where higher-fissile-content seed fuel bundles are physically separate from lower-fissile-content blanket bundles allows more flexibility and control in fuel management to maximize the fissile utilization and conversion of fertile fuel. The lattice concept chosen is a 35-element bundle made with a homogeneous mixture of reactor grade Pu andmore » Th, and with a central zirconia rod to help reduce coolant void reactivity. Several annular heterogeneous seed-blanket core concepts with plutonium-thorium-based fuels in a 700-MWe-class PT-HWR were analyzed, using a once-through thorium (OTT) cycle. Different combinations of seed and blanket fuel were tested to determine the impact on core-average burnup, fissile utilization, power distributions, and other performance parameters. It was found that the various core concepts can achieve a fissile utilization that is up to 30% higher than is currently achieved in a PT-HWR using conventional natural uranium fuel bundles. Up to 67% of the Pu is consumed; up to 43% of the energy is produced from thorium, and up to 363 kg/year of U-233 is produced. Seed-blanket cores with ∼50% content of low-power blanket bundles may require power de-rating (∼58% to 65%) to avoid exceeding maximum limits for peak channel power, bundle power and linear element ratings. (authors)« less

Materials and fabrication technology of modules intended for irradiation tests of blanket tritium-breeding zones in Russian fusion reactor projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kapychev, V.; Davydov, D.; Gorokhov, V.; Ioltukhovskiy, A.; Kazennov, Yu; Tebus, V.; Frolov, V.; Shikov, A.; Shishkov, N.; Kovalenko, V.; Shishkin, N.; Strebkov, Yu

2000-12-01

This paper surveys the modules and materials of blanket tritium-breeding zones developed in the Russian Federation for fusion reactors. Synthesis of lithium orthosilicate, metasilicate and aluminate, fabrication of ceramic pellets and pebbles and experimental reactor units are described. Results of tritium extraction kinetics under irradiation in a water-graphite reactor at a thermal neutron flux of 5×10 13 neutron/(s cm2) are considered. At the present time, development and fabrication of lithium orthosilicate-beryllium modules of the tritium-breeding zone (TBZ), have been carried out within the framework of the ITER and DEMO projects. Two modules containing orthosilicate pellets, porous beryllium and beryllium pebbles are suggested for irradiation tests in the temperature range of 350-700°C. Technical problems associated with manufacturing of the modules are discussed.

Developments of Spent Nuclear Fuel Pyroprocessing Technology at Idaho National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michael F. Simpson

This paper summarizes research in used fuel pyroprocessing that has been published by Idaho National Laboratory over the last decade. It includes work done both on treatment of Experimental Breeder Reactor-II and development of advanced technology for potential scale-up and commercialization. Collaborations with universities and other laboratories is included in the cited work.

Driving down defect density in composite EUV patterning film stacks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meli, Luciana; Petrillo, Karen; De Silva, Anuja; Arnold, John; Felix, Nelson; Johnson, Richard; Murray, Cody; Hubbard, Alex; Durrant, Danielle; Hontake, Koichi; Huli, Lior; Lemley, Corey; Hetzer, Dave; Kawakami, Shinichiro; Matsunaga, Koichi

2017-03-01

Extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) technology is one of the leading candidates for enabling the next generation devices, for 7nm node and beyond. As the technology matures, further improvement is required in the area of blanket film defectivity, pattern defectivity, CD uniformity, and LWR/LER. As EUV pitch scaling approaches sub 20 nm, new techniques and methods must be developed to reduce the overall defectivity, mitigate pattern collapse and eliminate film related defect. IBM Corporation and Tokyo Electron Limited (TELTM) are continuously collaborating to develop manufacturing quality processes for EUVL. In this paper, we review key defectivity learning required to enable 7nm node and beyond technology. We will describe ongoing progress in addressing these challenges through track-based processes (coating, developer, baking), highlighting the limitations of common defect detection strategies and outlining methodologies necessary for accurate characterization and mitigation of blanket defectivity in EUV patterning stacks. We will further discuss defects related to pattern collapse and thinning of underlayer films.

Modeling and Simulation of the ITER First Wall/Blanket Primary Heat Transfer System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ying, Alice; Popov, Emilian L

2011-01-01

ITER inductive power operation is modeled and simulated using a thermal-hydraulics system code (RELAP5) integrated with a 3-D CFD (SC-Tetra) code. The Primary Heat Transfer System (PHTS) functions are predicted together with the main parameters operational ranges. The control algorithm strategy and derivation are summarized as well. The First Wall and Blanket modules are the primary components of PHTS, used to remove the major part of the thermal heat from the plasma. The modules represent a set of flow channels in solid metal structure that serve to absorb the radiation heat and nuclear heating from the fusion reactions and tomore » provide shield for the vacuum vessel. The blanket modules are water cooled. The cooling is forced convective with constant blanket inlet temperature and mass flow rate. Three independent water loops supply coolant to the three blanket sectors. The main equipment of each loop consists of a pump, a steam pressurizer and a heat exchanger. A major feature of ITER is the pulsed operation. The plasma does not burn continuously, but on intervals with large periods of no power between them. This specific feature causes design challenges to accommodate the thermal expansion of the coolant during the pulse period and requires active temperature control to maintain a constant blanket inlet temperature.« less

Analyses of Hubble Space Telescope Aluminized-Teflon Insulation Retrieved After 19 Years of Space Exposure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

deGroh, Kim K.; Waters, Deborah L.; Mohammed, Jelila S.; Perry, Bruce A.; Banks, Bruce A.

2012-01-01

Since its launch in April 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has made many important observations from its vantage point in low Earth orbit (LEO). However, as seen during five servicing missions, the outer layer of multilayer insulation (MLI) has become successively more embrittled and has cracked in many areas. In May 2009, during the 5th servicing mission (called SM4), two MLI blankets were replaced with new insulation pieces and the space-exposed MLI blankets were retrieved for degradation analyses by teams at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The MLI blankets were from Equipment Bay 8, which received direct sunlight, and Equipment Bay 5, which received grazing sunlight. Each blanket contained a range of unique regions based on environmental exposure and/or physical appearance. The retrieved MLI blanket s aluminized-Teflon (DuPont) fluorinated ethylene propylene (Al-FEP) outer layers have been analyzed for changes in optical, physical, and mechanical properties, along with space induced chemical and morphological changes. When compared to pristine material, the analyses have shown how the Al-FEP was severely affected by the space environment. This paper reviews tensile properties, solar absorptance, thermal emittance, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data and atomic oxygen erosion values of the retrieved HST blankets after 19 years of space exposure.

A Proposed Methodology to Control Body Temperature in Patients at Risk of Hypothermia by means of Active Rewarming Systems

PubMed Central

Costanzo, Silvia; Cusumano, Alessia; Giaconia, Carlo; Mazzacane, Sante

2014-01-01

Hypothermia is a common complication in patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia. It has been noted that, during the first hour of surgery, the patient's internal temperature (T core) decreases by 0.5–1.5°C due to the vasodilatory effect of anesthetic gases, which affect the body's thermoregulatory system by inhibiting vasoconstriction. Thus a continuous check on patient temperature must be carried out. The currently most used methods to avoid hypothermia are based on passive systems (such as blankets reducing body heat loss) and on active ones (thermal blankets, electric or hot-water mattresses, forced hot air, warming lamps, etc.). Within a broader research upon the environmental conditions, pollution, heat stress, and hypothermia risk in operating theatres, the authors set up an experimental investigation by using a warming blanket chosen from several types on sale. Their aim was to identify times and ways the human body reacts to the heat flowing from the blanket and the blanket's effect on the average temperature T skin and, as a consequence, on T core temperature of the patient. The here proposed methodology could allow surgeons to fix in advance the thermal power to supply through a warming blanket for reaching, in a prescribed time, the desired body temperature starting from a given state of hypothermia. PMID:25485278

Economics of movable interior blankets for greenhouses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

White, G.B.; Fohner, G.R.; Albright, L.D.

1981-01-01

A model for evaluating the economic impact of investment in a movable interior blanket was formulated. The method of analysis was net present value (NPV), in which the discounted, after-tax cash flow of costs and benefits was computed for the useful life of the system. An added feature was a random number component which permitted any or all of the input parameters to be varied within a specified range. Results from 100 computer runs indicated that all of the NPV estimates generated were positive, showing that the investment was profitable. However, there was a wide range of NPV estimates, frommore » $16.00/m/sup 2/ to $86.40/m/sup 2/, with a median value of $49.34/m/sup 2/. Key variables allowed to range in the analysis were: (1) the cost of fuel before the blanket is installed; (2) the percent fuel savings resulting from use of the blanket; (3) the annual real increase in the cost of fuel; and (4) the change in the annual value of the crop. The wide range in NPV estimates indicates the difficulty in making general recommendations regarding the economic feasibility of the investment when uncertainty exists as to the correct values for key variables in commercial settings. The results also point out needed research into the effect of the blanket on the crop, and on performance characteristics of the blanket.« less

Advanced Multifunctional MMOD Shield: Radiation Shielding Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rojdev, Kristina; Christiansen, Eric

2013-01-01

As NASA is looking to explore further into deep space, multifunctional materials are a necessity for decreasing complexity and mass. One area where multifunctional materials could be extremely beneficial is in the micrometeoroid orbital debris (MMOD) shield. A typical MMOD shield on the International Space Station (ISS) is a stuffed whipple shield consisting of multiple layers. One of those layers is the thermal blanket, or multi-layer insulation (MLI). Increasing the MMOD effectiveness of MLI blankets, while still preserving their thermal capabilities, could allow for a less massive MMOD shield. Thus, a study was conducted to evaluate a concept MLI blanket for an MMOD shield. In conjunction, this MLI blanket and the subsequent MMOD shield was also evaluated for its radiation shielding effectiveness towards protecting crew. The overall MMOD shielding system using the concept MLI blanket proved to only have a marginal increase in the radiation mitigating properties. Therefore, subsequent analysis was performed on various conceptual MMOD shields to determine the combination of materials that may prove superior for radiation mitigating purposes. The following paper outlines the evaluations performed and discusses the results and conclusions of this evaluation for radiation shielding effectiveness.

Study of the effects of corrugated wall structures due to blanket modules around ICRH antennas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dumortier, Pierre; Louche, Fabrice; Messiaen, André

2014-02-12

In future fusion reactors, and in ITER, the first wall will be covered by blanket modules. These blanket modules, whose dimensions are of the order of the ICRF wavelengths, together with the clearance gaps between them will constitute a corrugated structure which will interact with the electromagnetic waves launched by ICRF antennas. The conditions in which the grooves constituted by the clearance gaps between the blanket modules can become resonant are studied. Simple analytical models and numerical simulations show that mushroom type structures (with larger gaps at the back than at the front) can bring down the resonance frequencies, whichmore » could lead to large voltages in the gaps between the blanket modules and perturb the RF properties of the antenna if they are in the ICRF operating range. The effect on the wave propagation along the wall structure, which is acting as a spatially periodic (toroidally and poloidally) corrugated structure, and hence constitutes a slow wave structure modifying the wall boundary condition, is examined.« less

Cooperation and competition: nepotistic tolerance and intrasexual aggression in western bluebird winter groups

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dickinson, J.L.; Euaparadorn, M.; Greenwald, K.; Mitra, C.; Shizuka, Daizaburo

2009-01-01

Two hypothesized benefits of delayed dispersal are access to resources and prolonged brood care (or??parental nepotism). Resource abundance (mistletoe wealth) is a key factor influencing whether sons stay home in western bluebirds, Sialia mexicana, but nepotism is also observed. Western bluebird sons commonly remain in their family groups throughout the winter, whereas daughters usually disperse before winter. Because pairing often takes place in winter groups, with newly formed pairs settling on exclusive all-purpose territories in spring, selection for sexual competition and nepotism co-occur and may simultaneously influence patterns of aggression within groups. We measured aggression at mealworm feeder stations, finding evidence of (1) intrasexual aggression against unrelated group members by experienced breeders of both sexes and (2) nepotism towards sons and daughters by experienced breeder females but not by experienced breeder males. Females showed much higher levels of aggression towards same-sex immigrants than males did. Experienced breeder males did not evict their sons from the natal territory, but they were 12 times more aggressive towards sons than breeder females were towards daughters. They were also equally aggressive towards sons and immigrant males, suggesting that local breeding competition and the benefits of intrasexual dominance counter the benefits of paternal nepotism towards sons. ?? 2009 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Harvest and group effects on pup survival in a cooperative breeder

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ausband, David E.; Mitchell, Michael S.; Stansbury, Carisa R.; Stenglein, Jennifer L.; Waits, Lisette P.

2017-01-01

Recruitment in cooperative breeders can be negatively affected by changes in group size and composition. The majority of cooperative breeding studies have not evaluated human harvest; therefore, the effects of recurring annual harvest and group characteristics on survival of young are poorly understood. We evaluated how harvest and groups affect pup survival using genetic sampling and pedigrees for grey wolves in North America. We hypothesized that harvest reduces pup survival because of (i) reduced group size, (ii) increased breeder turnover and/or (iii) reduced number of female helpers. Alternatively, harvest may increase pup survival possibly due to increased per capita food availability or it could be compensatory with other forms of mortality. Harvest appeared to be additive because it reduced both pup survival and group size. In addition to harvest, turnover of breeding males and the presence of older, non-breeding males also reduced pup survival. Large groups and breeder stability increased pup survival when there was harvest, however. Inferences about the effect of harvest on recruitment require knowledge of harvest rate of young as well as the indirect effects associated with changes in group size and composition, as we show. The number of young harvested is a poor measure of the effect of harvest on recruitment in cooperative breeders.

The effect of low-density diets on broiler breeder performance during the laying period and on embryonic development of their offspring.

PubMed

Enting, H; Kruip, T A M; Verstegen, M W A; van der Aar, P J

2007-05-01

The effect of low-density diets on bird performance, egg composition, and embryonic development was studied with 2,100 female and 210 male Cobb broiler breeders from 25 to 60 wk of age. The experiment included 5 treatments. These included a control group with a normal density diet (ND, 2,800 kcal of AME/kg). Treatments 2 (LD11) and 3 (LD21) had a 11 and 21% lower nutrient density. Treatment 4 (LD11(OP)) had a 11% less dense diet, which was obtained by inclusion of other feed ingredients. In these 4 treatments similar diets were given during the rearing and the laying period. Treatment 5 combined LD12 in the rearing period and ND diets during the laying period (LD12-ND). Egg composition and embryonic development were measured in eggs of ND and LD21 birds at 29 and 41 wk of age. During the laying period from wk 25 to 60, live weights did not differ among treatments, except that birds fed LD11(OP) had lower live weights. A significantly higher rate of lay was provided by LD11 compared with ND. Egg weights were significantly higher when low-density diets were fed, particularly in LD11(OP). Percentage of fertile eggs did not differ among treatments. Compared with the other treatments, LD11(OP) provided a significantly lower hatchability. We found that LD21 resulted in a better development of the area vitellina externa and heart and embryo weight at 29 wk of age. It was concluded that this was related to a higher egg weight and egg white proportion. This suggests that the amount of egg white in eggs of hens fed ND was limiting for embryonic development, particularly in eggs of young broiler breeders.

47 CFR 22.353 - Blanketing interference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Operational and Technical Requirements Technical Requirements § 22.353 Blanketing interference. Licensees of... consumer antenna systems, or the use of high gain antennas or antenna booster amplifiers by consumers. (d...

47 CFR 22.353 - Blanketing interference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Operational and Technical Requirements Technical Requirements § 22.353 Blanketing interference. Licensees of... consumer antenna systems, or the use of high gain antennas or antenna booster amplifiers by consumers. (d...

47 CFR 22.353 - Blanketing interference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Operational and Technical Requirements Technical Requirements § 22.353 Blanketing interference. Licensees of... consumer antenna systems, or the use of high gain antennas or antenna booster amplifiers by consumers. (d...

47 CFR 22.353 - Blanketing interference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Operational and Technical Requirements Technical Requirements § 22.353 Blanketing interference. Licensees of... consumer antenna systems, or the use of high gain antennas or antenna booster amplifiers by consumers. (d...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, KSC employee Duane Williams prepares the blanket insulation to be installed on the body flap on orbiter Discovery. The blankets are part of the Orbiter Thermal Protection System, thermal shields to protect against temperatures as high as 3,000° Fahrenheit, which are produced during descent for landing. Discovery is scheduled to fly on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-12-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, KSC employee Duane Williams prepares the blanket insulation to be installed on the body flap on orbiter Discovery. The blankets are part of the Orbiter Thermal Protection System, thermal shields to protect against temperatures as high as 3,000° Fahrenheit, which are produced during descent for landing. Discovery is scheduled to fly on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station.

Codevelopment of conceptual understanding and critical attitude: toward a systemic analysis of the survival blanket

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viennot, Laurence; Décamp, Nicolas

2016-01-01

One key objective of physics teaching is the promotion of conceptual understanding. Additionally, the critical faculty is universally seen as a central quality to be developed in students. In recent years, however, teaching objectives have placed stronger emphasis on skills than on concepts, and there is a risk that conceptual structuring may be disregarded. The question therefore arises as to whether it is possible for students to develop a critical stance without a conceptual basis, leading in turn to the issue of possible links between the development of conceptual understanding and critical attitude. In an in-depth study to address these questions, the participants were seven prospective physics and chemistry teachers. The methodology included a ‘teaching interview’, designed to observe participants’ responses to limited explanations of a given phenomenon and their ensuing intellectual satisfaction or frustration. The explanatory task related to the physics of how a survival blanket works, requiring a full and appropriate system analysis of the blanket. The analysis identified five recurrent lines of reasoning and linked these to judgments of adequacy of explanation, based on metacognitive/affective (MCA) factors, intellectual (dis)satisfaction and critical stance. Recurrent themes and MCA factors were used to map the intellectual dynamics that emerged during the interview process. Participants’ critical attitude was observed to develop in strong interaction with their comprehension of the topic. The results suggest that most students need to reach a certain level of conceptual mastery before they can begin to question an oversimplified explanation, although one student’s replies show that a different intellectual dynamics is also possible. The paper ends with a discussion of the implications of these findings for future research and for decisions concerning teaching objectives and the design of learning environments.

Factors Affecting Element Concentrations in Eggshells of Three Sympatrically Nesting Waterbirds in Northern Poland.

PubMed

Kitowski, Ignacy; Jakubas, Dariusz; Indykiewicz, Piotr; Wiącek, Dariusz

2018-02-01

Avian eggshells are convenient samples in biomonitoring studies, because they are easily accessible, especially from colonially or semicolonially breeding birds. In the present study, concentrations of 17 elements, including heavy metals and essential elements in post-hatch eggshells, were compared among three species of waterbirds of differing strategies for gaining reserves for egg production and diet: mallard, Anas platyrhynchos (ML, a capital breeder, mainly herbivorous), common tern, Sterna hirundo (CT, an income breeder, piscivorous) and black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus (BHG, mixed strategy, omnivorous) and breeding sympatrically in three sites in North Poland. Analyses revealed that Fe, Zn, and Cu levels differed the most in the studied species, which may be explained by various contributions of fish, aquatic plants, and soil invertebrates in their diets. Generally, the studied species' eggshells accumulated amounts of elements comparable to those reported for other waterbirds without putting the growth and development of the embryo at risk. The only exception was very high levels of Cr in ML and CT, which may be explained by their foraging on aquatic organisms in waterbodies polluted by this element. Intersite differences in eggshell concentrations of Ni, Sr, Hg and Cr in CT (an income breeder) may be explained by the influence of local pollution sources (small factories, polluted river).

Deadly outbreak of iron storage disease (ISD) in Italian birds of the family Turdidae.

PubMed

Pavone, Silvia; Salamida, Sonia; Pecorelli, Ivan; Rossi, Elisabetta; Manuali, Elisabetta

2014-09-01

A widespread deadly outbreak occurred in captive birds belonging to the family Turdidae in Italy. The present study was performed on 46 dead birds coming from 3 small decoy-bird breeders in central Italy. Only Turdus pilaris, Turdus iliacus, Turdus philomelos and Turdus merula were affected. No other species of bird held by these breeders died. A change of diet before the hunting season was reported from all breeders. Full necropsy of the animals and histological investigations of representative tissue samples were performed. Microscopical examination showed marked iron deposits in liver samples. Bacteriological investigations and molecular analysis to exclude bacterial and viral diseases were carried out. Contamination of food pellet samples by mycotoxins and analysis to detect heavy metal contaminants in food pellet samples were considered. An interesting result was the high iron content found in food pellets. It was higher than that considered suitable for birds, especially for species susceptible to development iron storage disease (ISD). Taken together, the results suggested an outbreak of ISD caused by the high iron content of food given to the birds before the hunting season. The high mortality recorded only in species belonging to the family Turdidae suggests a genetic predisposition in the affected birds.

Identification of natural high-oleate mutants from the USDA Peanut Germplasm Collection

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Natural genetic variation may exist in plant germplasm collections. Identifying genetic variation may provide useful materials for breeders to develop new cultivars. After screening 8,846 cultivated peanut germplasm accessions by gas chromatography analysis, we identified three natural mutant lines ...

Spectral reflectance models for characterizing winter wheat genotypes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Optimum wheat yield can be achieved by developing and growing the best genotype in the most suited environment. However, exhaustive field measurements are required to characterize plants in breeder plots for screening genotypes with desirable traits. Remote sensing tools have been shown to provide r...

St. Paul's Pig Pack.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Penny Folley

1982-01-01

Describes a guinea pig (cavy) breeding and management program developed as part of an elementary school science curriculum. Includes comments on show competitions (sponsored by the American Rabbit Breeders Association) to measure the success of the breeding program and to enable children to experience the business world. (Author/JN)

Addressing the dilemmas of measuring amylose in rice

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Amylose content is a parameter that correlates with the cooking behaviour of rice. It is measured at the earliest possible stages of rice improvement programs to enable breeders to build the foundations of appropriate grain quality during cultivar development. Amylose is usually quantified by absorb...

Uranium and Thorium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finch, Warren I.

1978-01-01

The results of President Carter's policy on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons are expected to slow the growth rate in energy consumption, put the development of the breeder reactor in question, halt plans to reprocess and recycle uranium and plutonium, and expand facilities to supply enriched uranium. (Author/MA)

Growth heterogeneity in broiler breeder pullets is settled before the onset of feed restriction but is not predicted by size at hatch.

PubMed

Lindholm, C; Jönsson, J; Calais, A; Middelkoop, A; Yngwe, N; Berndtson, E; Lees, J J; Hult, E; Altimiras, J

2017-01-01

Uniform growth is a desirable trait in all large-scale animal production systems because it simplifies animal management and increases profitability. In parental broiler flocks, so-called broiler breeders, low growth uniformity is largely attributed to the feed competition that arises from quantitatively restricted feeding. As feed restriction is crucial to maintaining healthy and fertile breeders, several practices for reducing feed competition and the associated growth heterogeneity have been suggested and range from nutrient dilution by increasing fiber content in feed to intermittent fasting with increased portion size ("skip a day"), but no practice appears to be entirely effective. The fact that a large part of the heterogeneity remains even when feed competition is minimized suggests that some growth variation is caused by other factors. We investigated whether this variation arises during embryonic development (as measured by size at hatch) or during posthatch development by following the growth and body composition of birds of varying hatch sizes. Our results support the posthatch alternative, with animals that later grow to be small or large (here defined as >1 SD lighter or heavier than mean BW of the flock) being significantly different in size as early as 1 d after gaining access to feed ( < 0.05). We then investigated 2 possible causes for different postnatal growth: that high growth performance is linked 1) to interindividual variations in metabolism (as measured by cloacal temperature and verified by respirometry) or 2) to higher levels of social motivation (as measured in a social reinstatement T-maze), which should reduce the stress of being reared in large-scale commercial flocks. Neither of these follow-up hypotheses could account for the observed heterogeneity in growth. We suggest that the basis of growth heterogeneity in broiler breeder pullets may already be determined at the time of hatch in the form of qualitatively different maternal investments or immediately thereafter as an indirect result of differences in incubation conditions, hatching time, and resulting fasting time. Although this potential difference in maternal investment is not seen in body mass, tarsometatarsal length, or full body length of day-old chicks arriving at the farm, it may influence the development of differential feed and water intake during the first day of feeding, which in turn has direct effects on growth heterogeneity.

High-throughput phenotyping of large wheat breeding nurseries using unmanned aerial system, remote sensing and GIS techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haghighattalab, Atena

Wheat breeders are in a race for genetic gain to secure the future nutritional needs of a growing population. Multiple barriers exist in the acceleration of crop improvement. Emerging technologies are reducing these obstacles. Advances in genotyping technologies have significantly decreased the cost of characterizing the genetic make-up of candidate breeding lines. However, this is just part of the equation. Field-based phenotyping informs a breeder's decision as to which lines move forward in the breeding cycle. This has long been the most expensive and time-consuming, though most critical, aspect of breeding. The grand challenge remains in connecting genetic variants to observed phenotypes followed by predicting phenotypes based on the genetic composition of lines or cultivars. In this context, the current study was undertaken to investigate the utility of UAS in assessment field trials in wheat breeding programs. The major objective was to integrate remotely sensed data with geospatial analysis for high throughput phenotyping of large wheat breeding nurseries. The initial step was to develop and validate a semi-automated high-throughput phenotyping pipeline using a low-cost UAS and NIR camera, image processing, and radiometric calibration to build orthomosaic imagery and 3D models. The relationship between plot-level data (vegetation indices and height) extracted from UAS imagery and manual measurements were examined and found to have a high correlation. Data derived from UAS imagery performed as well as manual measurements while exponentially increasing the amount of data available. The high-resolution, high-temporal HTP data extracted from this pipeline offered the opportunity to develop a within season grain yield prediction model. Due to the variety in genotypes and environmental conditions, breeding trials are inherently spatial in nature and vary non-randomly across the field. This makes geographically weighted regression models a good choice as a geospatial prediction model. Finally, with the addition of georeferenced and spatial data integral in HTP and imagery, we were able to reduce the environmental effect from the data and increase the accuracy of UAS plot-level data. The models developed through this research, when combined with genotyping technologies, increase the volume, accuracy, and reliability of phenotypic data to better inform breeder selections. This increased accuracy with evaluating and predicting grain yield will help breeders to rapidly identify and advance the most promising candidate wheat varieties.

Insulation Blankets for High-Temperature Use

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, H.; Leiser, D.; Sawko, P. M.; Larson, H. K.; Estrella, C.; Smith, M.; Pitoniak, F. J.

1986-01-01

Insulating blanket resists temperatures up to 1,500 degrees F (815 degrees C). Useful where high-temperature resistance, flexibility, and ease of installation are important - for example, insulation for odd-shaped furnaces and high-temperature ducts, curtains for furnace openings and fire control, and conveyor belts in hot processes. Blanket is quilted composite consisting of two face sheets: outer one of silica, inner one of silica or other glass cloth with center filling of pure silica glass felt sewn together with silica glass threads.

Preliminary Failure Modes and Effects Analysis of the US DCLL Test Blanket Module

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee C. Cadwallader

2010-06-01

This report presents the results of a preliminary failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) of a small tritium-breeding test blanket module design for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. The FMEA was quantified with “generic” component failure rate data, and the failure events are binned into postulated initiating event families and frequency categories for safety assessment. An appendix to this report contains repair time data to support an occupational radiation exposure assessment for test blanket module maintenance.

Preliminary Failure Modes and Effects Analysis of the US DCLL Test Blanket Module

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee C. Cadwallader

2007-08-01

This report presents the results of a preliminary failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) of a small tritium-breeding test blanket module design for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. The FMEA was quantified with “generic” component failure rate data, and the failure events are binned into postulated initiating event families and frequency categories for safety assessment. An appendix to this report contains repair time data to support an occupational radiation exposure assessment for test blanket module maintenance.

Mirror plasma apparatus

DOEpatents

Moir, Ralph W.

1981-01-01

A mirror plasma apparatus which utilizes shielding by arc discharge to form a blanket plasma and lithium walls to reduce neutron damage to the wall of the apparatus. An embodiment involves a rotating liquid lithium blanket for a tandem mirror plasma apparatus wherein the first wall of the central mirror cell is made of liquid lithium which is spun with angular velocity great enough to keep the liquid lithium against the first material wall, a blanket plasma preventing the lithium vapor from contaminating the plasma.

Modeling Natural Space Ionizing Radiation Effects on External Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alstatt, Richard L.; Edwards, David L.; Parker, Nelson C. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Predicting the effective life of materials for space applications has become increasingly critical with the drive to reduce mission cost. Programs have considered many solutions to reduce launch costs including novel, low mass materials and thin thermal blankets to reduce spacecraft mass. Determining the long-term survivability of these materials before launch is critical for mission success. This presentation will describe an analysis performed on the outer layer of the passive thermal control blanket of the Hubble Space Telescope. This layer had degraded for unknown reasons during the mission, however ionizing radiation (IR) induced embrittlement was suspected. A methodology was developed which allowed direct comparison between the energy deposition of the natural environment and that of the laboratory generated environment. Commercial codes were used to predict the natural space IR environment model energy deposition in the material from both natural and laboratory IR sources, and design the most efficient test. Results were optimized for total and local energy deposition with an iterative spreadsheet. This method has been used successfully for several laboratory tests at the Marshall Space Flight Center. The study showed that the natural space IR environment, by itself, did not cause the premature degradation observed in the thermal blanket.

Automatic Incubator-type Temperature Control System for Brain Hypothermia Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaohua, Lu; Wakamatsu, Hidetoshi

An automatic air-cooling incubator is proposed to replace the manual water-cooling blanket to control the brain tissue temperature for brain hypothermia treatment. Its feasibility is theoretically discussed as follows: First, an adult patient with the cooling incubator is modeled as a linear dynamical patient-incubator biothermal system. The patient is represented by an 18-compartment structure and described by its state equations. The air-cooling incubator provides almost same cooling effect as the water-cooling blanket, if a light breeze of speed around 3 m/s is circulated in the incubator. Then, in order to control the brain temperature automatically, an adaptive-optimal control algorithm is adopted, while the patient-blanket therapeutic system is considered as a reference model. Finally, the brain temperature of the patient-incubator biothermal system is controlled to follow up the given reference temperature course, in which an adaptive algorithm is confirmed useful for unknown environmental change and/or metabolic rate change of the patient in the incubating system. Thus, the present work ensures the development of the automatic air-cooling incubator for a better temperature regulation of the brain hypothermia treatment in ICU.

Modeling natural space ionizing radiation effects on external materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altstatt, Richard L.; Edwards, David L.

2000-10-01

Predicting the effective life of materials for space applications has become increasingly critical with the drive to reduce mission cost. Programs have considered many solutions to reduce launch costs including novel, low mass materials and thin thermal blankets to reduce spacecraft mass. Determining the long-term survivability of these materials before launch is critical for mission success. This presentation will describe an analysis performed on the outer layer of the passive thermal control blanket of the Hubble Space Telescope. This layer had degraded for unknown reasons during the mission, however ionizing radiation (IR) induced embrittlement was suspected. A methodology was developed which allowed direct comparison between the energy deposition of the natural environment and that of the laboratory generated environment. Commercial codes were used to predict the natural space IR environment, model energy deposition in the material from both natural and laboratory IR sources, and design the most efficient test. Results were optimized for total and local energy deposition with an iterative spreadsheet. This method has been used successfully for several laboratory tests at the Marshall Space Flight Center. The study showed that the natural space IR environment, by itself, did not cause the premature degradation observed in the thermal blanket.

Design and fabrication of a flexible tunnel for Sortie Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

A program was conducted to update a prototype design and to fabricate a flexible tunnel for a space shuttle/spacelab interface structure. The significant changes in the prototype are as follows: (1) elimination of foam from bladder laminate to increase bladder flexibility, (2) heat treat pulley brackets, bolts, and hinge pin to 160,000 psi minimum tensile strength, and (3) reduction of the meteoroid barrier from 0.5 inch to 0.375 inch. The thermal blanket installation study resulted in developing a method of installation by properly folding the various layers so that a uniform thickness could be maintained under the clamps. A single-lobe mockup was fabricated and cycled open and closed several times with no apparent damage to the blanket.

FACT, Mega-ROSA, SOLAROSA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spence, Brian; White, Steve; Schmid, Kevin; Douglas Mark

2012-01-01

The Flexible Array Concentrator Technology (FACT) is a lightweight, high-performance reflective concentrator blanket assembly that can be used on flexible solar array blankets. The FACT concentrator replaces every other row of solar cells on a solar array blanket, significantly reducing the cost of the array. The modular design is highly scalable for the array system designer, and exhibits compact stowage, good off-pointing acceptance, and mass/cost savings. The assembly s relatively low concentration ratio, accompanied by a large radiative area, provides for a low cell operating temperature, and eliminates many of the thermal problems inherent in high-concentration-ratio designs. Unlike other reflector technologies, the FACT concentrator modules function on both z-fold and rolled flexible solar array blankets, as well as rigid array systems. Mega-ROSA (Mega Roll-Out Solar Array) is a new, highly modularized and extremely scalable version of ROSA that provides immense power level range capability from 100 kW to several MW in size. Mega-ROSA will enable extremely high-power spacecraft and SEP-powered missions, including space-tug and largescale planetary science and lunar/asteroid exploration missions. Mega-ROSA's inherent broad power scalability is achieved while retaining ROSA s solar array performance metrics and missionenabling features for lightweight, compact stowage volume and affordability. This innovation will enable future ultra-high-power missions through lowcost (25 to 50% cost savings, depending on PV and blanket technology), lightweight, high specific power (greater than 200 to 400 Watts per kilogram BOL (beginning-of-life) at the wing level depending on PV and blanket technology), compact stowage volume (greater than 50 kilowatts per cubic meter for very large arrays), high reliability, platform simplicity (low failure modes), high deployed strength/stiffness when scaled to huge sizes, and high-voltage operation capability. Mega-ROSA is adaptable to all photovoltaic and concentrator flexible blanket technologies, and can readily accommodate standard multijunction and emerging ultra-lightweight IMM (inverted metamorphic) photovoltaic flexible blanket assemblies, as well as ENTECHs Stretched Lens Array (SLA) and DSSs (Deployable Space Systems) FACT, which allows for cost reduction at the array level.

Development of tritium permeation barriers on Al base in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benamati, G.; Chabrol, C.; Perujo, A.; Rigal, E.; Glasbrenner, H.

The development of the water cooled lithium lead (WCLL) DEMO fusion reactor requires the production of a material capable of acting as a tritium permeation barrier (TPB). In the DEMO blanket reactor permeation barriers on the structural material are required to reduce the tritium permeation from the Pb-17Li or the plasma into the cooling water to acceptable levels (<1 g/d). Because of experimental work previously performed, one of the most promising TPB candidates is A1 base coatings. Within the EU a large R&D programme is in progress to develop a TPB fabrication technique, compatible with the structural materials requirements and capable of producing coatings with acceptable performances. The research is focused on chemical vapour deposition (CVD), hot dipping, hot isostatic pressing (HIP) technology and spray (this one developed also for repair) deposition techniques. The final goal is to select a reference technique to be used in the blanket of the DEMO reactor and in the ITER test module fabrication. The activities performed in four European laboratories are summarised here.

Composite flexible blanket insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kourtides, Demetrius A. (Inventor); Lowe, David M. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

An improved composite flexible blanket insulation is presented comprising top silicon carbide having an interlock design, wherein the reflective shield is composed of single or double aluminized polyimide and wherein the polyimide film has a honeycomb pattern.

Effect on the tritium breeding ratio for a distributed ICRF antenna in a DEMO reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, A.; Noterdaeme, J.-M.; Fischer, U.; Dies, J.

2015-12-01

The paper reports results of MCNP-5 calculations to assess the effect on the Tritium Breeding Ratio (TBR) when integrating a distributed Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequencies (ICRF) antenna in the blanket of DEMO fusion power reactor. The calculations consider different parameters such as the ICRF covering ratio and the type of breeding blanket including the Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) and the Helium Cooled Lithium Lead (HCLL) concepts. For an antenna with a full toroidal circumference of 360°, located poloidally at 40° with a poloidal extension of 1 m, the reduction of the TBR is -0.349% for the HCPB blanket and -0.532% for the HCLL blanket. The distributed ICRF antenna is thus shown to have only a marginal effect on the TBR of the DEMO reactor.

Thermally distinct ejecta blankets from Martian craters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betts, B. H.; Murray, B. C.

1993-06-01

A study of Martian ejecta blankets is carried out using the high-resolution thermal IR/visible data from the Termoskan instrument aboard Phobos '88 mission. It is found that approximately 100 craters within the Termoskan data have an ejecta blanket distinct in the thermal infrared (EDITH). These features are examined by (1) a systematic examination of all Termoskan data using high-resolution image processing; (2) a study of the systematics of the data by compiling and analyzing a data base consisting of geographic, geologic, and mormphologic parameters for a significant fraction of the EDITH and nearby non-EDITH; and (3) qualitative and quantitative analyses of localized regions of interest. It is noted that thermally distinct ejecta blankets are excellent locations for future landers and remote sensing because of relatively dust-free surface exposures of material excavated from depth.

Concept of a demonstrational hybrid reactor—a tokamak with molten-salt blanket for 233U fuel production: 1. Concept of a stationary Tokamak as a neutron source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azizov, E. A.; Gladush, G. G.; Dokuka, V. N.; Khayrutdinov, R. R.

2015-12-01

On the basis of current understanding of physical processes in tokamaks and taking into account engineering constraints, it is shown that a low-cost facility of a moderate size can be designed within the adopted concept. This facility makes it possible to achieve the power density of neutron flux which is of interest, in particular, for solving the problem of 233U fuel production from thorium. By using a molten-salt blanket, the important task of ensuring the safe operation of such a reactor in the case of possible coolant loss is accomplished. Moreover, in a hybrid reactor with the blanket based on liquid salts, the problem of periodic refueling that is difficult to perform in solid blankets can be solved.

Effect of dietary manipulation and vaccination of turkey breeder hens on immunoglobulin levels of yolk, yolk sac and neonate poults.

PubMed

Bhattacharyya, A; Majumdar, S; Bhanja, S K; Mandal, A B; Dash, B B

2018-04-01

Two hundred turkey breeder hens and 24 viable toms of 30-35 weeks age of small white variety were distributed into two treatment groups having four replicates of 25 hens and three toms in each treatment. First four replicates were offered a turkey breeder diet (Diet A) (Nutrient requirements of poultry, 1994, National Academic Press, Washington, DC) and the rest four replicates were maintained on a higher plane of nutrition (Diet B) for 8-week duration. After 6 weeks of experimental feeding, two replicates from each treatment groups were vaccinated with ND (R 2 B) vaccine. Yolk sac of embryo from birds fed Diet B had a significantly higher (p < .05) IgG, IgM level and HI titre (log 2) than those fed Diet A. HI titre values of embryonic yolk sac from the vaccinated birds fed Diet B were significantly higher (p < .05) than that of the control groups. In addition, HI titre values were significantly higher (p < .05) in the day-old poults of the birds fed Diet B than that of those fed Diet A. There was significantly (p < .01) positive correlation between serum IgG and IgM of the breeder birds and day-old chicks. Similarly, there was significantly (p < .05) positive correlation between yolk IgG and IgM after 1-month experimental feeding and yolk sac IgG and IgM. Positive correlation (p < .05) also existed between yolk sac IgM and day-old chick serum IgM. Furthermore, the HI titres of breeder birds' serum at 14 days post-vaccination were positively correlated with their egg yolk after 10 and 15 days post-vaccination, yolk sac and day-old chicks. Thus, the study envisaged that a higher immunity in neonate poults from turkey breeders maintained on a higher plane of nutrition may be elicited as there was maternal transfer of antibodies from the serum of breeder birds to their offsprings through their yolk sac. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Design, optimization, and analysis of a self-deploying PV tent array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collozza, Anthony J.

1991-06-01

A tent shaped PV array was designed and the design was optimized for maximum specific power. In order to minimize output power variation a tent angle of 60 deg was chosen. Based on the chosen tent angle an array structure was designed. The design considerations were minimal deployment time, high reliability, and small stowage volume. To meet these considerations the array was chosen to be self-deployable, form a compact storage configuration, using a passive pressurized gas deployment mechanism. Each structural component of the design was analyzed to determine the size necessary to withstand the various forces to which it would be subjected. Through this analysis the component weights were determined. An optimization was performed to determine the array dimensions and blanket geometry which produce the maximum specific power for a given PV blanket. This optimization was performed for both lunar and Martian environmental conditions. Other factors such as PV blanket types, structural material, and wind velocity (for Mars array), were varied to determine what influence they had on the design point. The performance specifications for the array at both locations and with each type of PV blanket were determined. These specifications were calculated using the Arimid fiber composite as the structural material. The four PV blanket types considered were silicon, GaAs/Ge, GaAsCLEFT, and amorphous silicon. The specifications used for each blanket represented either present day or near term technology. For both the Moon and Mars the amorphous silicon arrays produced the highest specific power.

Development and validation of breeder-friendly KASPar markers for er1, a powdery mildew resistance gene in pea (Pisum sativum L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Powdery mildew of pea is caused by Erysiphe pisi DC and is a serious threat to pea (Pisum sativum L.) production throughout much of the world. Development and utilization of genetic resistance to powdery mildew is considered an effective and sustainable strategy to manage this disease. One gene, er1...

Design and development of a prototypical software for semi-automatic generation of test methodologies and security checklists for IT vulnerability assessment in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Möller, Thomas; Bellin, Knut; Creutzburg, Reiner

2015-03-01

The aim of this paper is to show the recent progress in the design and prototypical development of a software suite Copra Breeder* for semi-automatic generation of test methodologies and security checklists for IT vulnerability assessment in small and medium-sized enterprises.

Development of UO2/PuO2 dispersed in uranium matrix CERMET fuel system for fast reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, V. P.; Hegde, P. V.; Prasad, G. J.; Pal, S.; Mishra, G. P.

2012-08-01

CERMET fuel with either PuO2 or enriched UO2 dispersed in uranium metal matrix has a strong potential of becoming a fuel for the liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactors (LMR's). In fact it may act as a bridge between the advantages and disadvantages associated with the two extremes of fuel systems (i.e. ceramic fuel and metallic fuel) for fast reactors. At Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), R & D efforts are on to develop this CERMET fuel by powder metallurgy route. This paper describes the development of flow sheet for preparation of UO2 dispersed in uranium metal matrix pellets for three different compositions i.e. U-20 wt%UO2, U-25 wt%UO2 and U-30 wt%UO2. It was found that the sintered pellets were having excellent integrity and their linear mass was higher than that of carbide fuel pellets used in Fast Breeder Test Reactor programme (FBTR) in India. The pellets were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique for phase analysis and lattice parameter determination. The optical microstructures were developed and reported for all the three different U-UO2 compositions.

Exotic germplasm introgression effect on agronomic and fiber properties of upland cotton

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Genetic diversity is an important breeder’s tool for selection and improvement in crop cultivar development. Any successful breeding program depends on selecting superior quality parents. Lack of genetic diversity limits the potential of the breeder in selecting elite parents. Genetic uniformity pre...

Collection development and outsourcing in academic health sciences libraries: a survey of current practices.

PubMed Central

Blecic, D D; Hollander, S; Lanier, D

1999-01-01

Academic health sciences libraries in the United States and Canada were surveyed regarding collection development trends, including their effect on approval plan and blanket order use, and use of outsourcing over the past four years. Results of the survey indicate that serials market forces, budgetary constraints, and growth in electronic resources purchasing have resulted in a decline in the acquisition of print items. As a result, approval plan use is being curtailed in many academic health sciences libraries. Although use of blanket orders is more stable, fewer than one-third of academic health sciences libraries report using them currently. The decline of print collections suggests that libraries should explore cooperative collection development of print materials to ensure access and preservation. The decline of approval plan use and the need for cooperative collection development may require additional effort for sound collection development. Libraries were also surveyed about their use of outsourcing. Some libraries reported outsourcing cataloging and shelf preparation of books, but none reported using outsourcing for resource selection. The reason given most often for outsourcing was that it resulted in cost savings. As expected, economic factors are driving both collection development and outsourcing practices. PMID:10219477

Cellular structures with interconnected microchannels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shaefer, Robert Shahram; Ghoniem, Nasr M.; Williams, Brian

A method for fabricating a cellular tritium breeder component includes obtaining a reticulated carbon foam skeleton comprising a network of interconnected ligaments. The foam skeleton is then melt-infiltrated with a tritium breeder material, for example, lithium zirconate or lithium titanate. The foam skeleton is then removed to define a cellular breeder component having a network of interconnected tritium purge channels. In an embodiment the ligaments of the foam skeleton are enlarged by adding carbon using chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) prior to melt-infiltration. In an embodiment the foam skeleton is coated with a refractory material, for example, tungsten, prior to meltmore » infiltration.« less

Evaluation of an asphalt-treated drainage blanket in a rigid pavement section : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-01-01

This study was undertaken to develop a permeable yet stable, asphalt-treated, layered shoulder drainage system for a typical pavement section. Stability and permeability characteristics of several mixes were evaluated in the laboratory. Two installat...