|
Student
Abstracts: Engineering at ANL
Construction of the Anode Testing Facility for the
Discovery of Inert Anodes Used in Aluminum Electrolysis. MATTHEW CASTELEIN
(University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801) GREG KRUMDICK (Argonne National
Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439) .
The production of aluminum by electrolysis is an inefficient as well as an
environmentally unfriendly process due to the use of carbon anodes. These
anodes break down by oxidation during electrolysis, releasing greenhouse gases
and increasing energy requirements. It has been observed that anodes made of
certain metal alloys form a thin outer film that protects the anodes from
disintegration. The use of these alloys as anodes in aluminum electrolysis
could save energy as well as eliminate greenhouse gas emissions due to the
inert nature of the alloys with the electrolysis bath. However, further
research focusing on oxidation rates at the anode surface is necessary to
select the most successful anode material. Therefore, an anode testing facility
has been designed and constructed to test different anode materials. Various
measurement equipment has been installed and calibrated, and a data acquisition
program has been written to collect data during anode testing. With the
completion of the anode testing facility, the selection of an inert anode for
aluminum electrolysis can now begin at Argonne.
The Effects of Electrical Current and Ion Exchange Resin
Mixture Ratios on Continuous Electrodeionization. SUSAN FERNANDEZ
(University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742) PAULA MOON (Argonne National
Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439) .
Continuous electrodeionization (EDI) is a process involving ion permeable
membranes and ion exchange resin and requires the application of an electrical
current. EDI allows for the transfer of ions from aqueous salt solutions or
sugar solutions. These solutions may then be recycled more easily. In this
study, current and ion exchange resin ratios were varied to determine their
effectiveness in the transfer of sodium and chloride ions from a sodium
chloride solution. In the course of the study, EDI runs were performed in a
resin mixture of 65% anion exchange resin, 35% cation exchange resin as well as
a resin mixture of 75% anion exchange resin, 25% cation exchange resin. Current
levels tested were 0.59 and 1.20 amps. Conductivity and pH measurements were taken
over the course of each EDI run, as well as samples for ion chromatography. It
was found that current utilization was smaller for 1.20 amps; reduced current
utilization is desireable. It was found that ion chromatography was the best
process for determining sodium transfer from EDI feed solutions. In future
work, various ratios will be tested. They are as follows, in terms of (% anion
exchange resin, % cation exchange resin): (50%, 50%); (25%, 75%).
Monte Carlo N-Particle Modeling of the Shielded
Measurement System and the Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis System at
ANL-W. CATHERINE GOFF (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
02139) BILL RUSS (Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439) .
The particle transport code MCNP, a computer code developed at Los Alamos
National Laboratory that utilizes the Monte Carlo method, was used to evaluate
two specific experiments being developed and carried out at the Argonne West
INEEL site. The first of these experiments evaluated was the proposed Prompt
Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) system to be installed at ANL-W for
nondestructive drum inspection. The MCNP model, which included realistic modeling
of the neutron source, shielding, and layout of the experimental area, served
the purpose of determining the radiation (a combination of both neutron and
photon) doses delivered to personnel working in the proximity of the PGNAA
system. The dose rates obtained through this model were used to write an
Engineering Analysis for the ANL-W ALARA Regulatory Committee. In the second
half of this project, the Shielded Measurement System (SMS) developed by
Argonne West was modeled using MCNP. The SMS is a versatile measuring device
for the characterization of spent fuel in dry storage. Part of the SMS is a
Shielded Instrument Ring, which contains numerous ports capable of
accommodating a wide variety of radiation measuring instruments. This project
focused on determining the optimal width of a variable collimator designed to
aid in the detection of gamma rays emitted from an EBR-II blanket subassembly.
Biochip Reader. SUSAN HAMMOND (Bismarck State
College, Bismarck, ND 58501) GENNADIY YERSHOV (Argonne National Laboratory,
Argonne, IL 60439) .
A Biochip is a microchip that contains a set of immobile oligonucleotides used
for DNA sequencing. Once these chips are manufactured, they need to be read to
ensure they will work. The purpose of reading the Biochips is for quality
control as well as determining the DNA of a certain sample. After the
oligonucleotide probes have been attached and a sample has been run, the reader
will test them by measuring the intensity of the fluorescent dye on the target
DNA. The Biochip is read by illuminating the Biochip with a laser light and
capturing the image with a CCD camera. The image and all other data are sent to
the computer and analyzed further. This device is in its preliminary stages of
development. Once completely assemble, the reader will be re-designed until all
mistakes have been eliminated.
Density and Densification of the Pressureless
Consolidated Ceramic Waste Form. MAY SATTERFIELD (Yale University, New
Haven, CT 06520) KENNETH J BATEMAN (Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL
60439) .
Abstract Density and Densification of the Pressureless Consolidated Ceramic
Waste Form. Barclay Satterfield (Yale University, New Haven CT 06520) Kenneth
Bateman (Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83403). As Argonne
National Laboratory continues research and scale-up of the Ceramic Waste Form,
its has become important to determine the material's density during firing,
especially over long firing cycles. In this research a formula for volume as a
function of height is developed for the canisters used and then applied in
order to determine the material's density during firing with a linear
potentiometer. The material's densification pattern is found to be a
logarithmically increasing curve, even over long firing cycles, and final bulk
densities range from 1.7 g/ml to 1.97 g/ml. Methods for further increasing the
ease and accuracy of height monitoring are also investigated.
Category:--------______________________ School Author Attends: Yale University
DOE National Laboratory Attended: Argonne National Laboratory, West Mentor's
Name: Kenneth J Bateman Phone: (208) 533-7061 e-mail Address:
Kenneth.Bateman@anlw.anl.gov Presenter's Name: Barclay Satterfield Mailing
Address: 54 Lakeview Drive City/State/ZIP: Smyrna, DE 19977-1728 Phone: (302)
653-6596 e-mail Address: may.satterfield@yale.edu
Digital Imaging of Diesel Sprays. JONATHAN SHIH (Duke
University, Durham, NC 27708) RAJ SEKAR (Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne,
IL 60439) .
Diesel powered locomotives are one of the largest consumers of diesel fuel in the
country, so emissions and fuel efficiency are central concerns of the industry.
One area where more scientific understanding could yield better fuel efficiency
and decreased emissions is the fuel injection process. Poorly designed
injection can significantly hamper a diesel engine's performance. Using high
speed digital imaging, two geometric properties, penetration length and cone
angle, were determined by varying different variables such as diesel injector,
chamber pressure, cam shaft speed, pulse width and time. Images were taken, and
then analyzed programmatically using LabView. Mathematical correlations were
then determined for both penetration length and cone angle.
|
