Detection of steam generator tube leaks in pressurized water reactors

This report addresses the early detection of small steam generator tube leaks in pressurized water reactors. It discusses the third, and final, year's work on an NRC-funded project examining diagnostic instrumentation in water reactors. The first two years were broad in coverage, concentrating on anticipatory measurements for detection of potential problems in both pressurized- and boiling-water reactors, with recommendations for areas of further study. One of these areas, the early detection of small steam tube leaks in pressurized water reactors (PWRs), formed the basis of study for the last year of the project.Four tasks are addressed in this study of the detection of steam tube leaks.

1. (1) Determination of which physical parameters indicate the onset of steam generator tube leaks.

2. (2) Establishing performance goals for diagnostic instruments which could be used for early detection of steam generator tube leaks.

3. (3) Defining the diagnostic instrumentation and their location which satisfy Items 1 and 2 above.

4. (4) Assessing the need for diagnostic data processing and display.

Parameters are identified, performance goals established, and sensor types and locations are specified in the report, with emphasis on the use of existing instrumentation with a minimum of retrofitting. A simple algorithm is developed which yields the leak rate as a function of known or measurable quantities. The conclusion is that leak rates of less than one-tenth gram per second should be detectable with existing instrumentation.     

Shape-Memory Balloon Structures by Pneumatic Multi-material 4D Printing

4D printing is an attractive approach for manufacturing structures that can adopt new shapes or functionalities after printing. However, 4D printing methods and materials that can be used to achieve structures with complex shapes and excellent mechanical properties simultaneously are still lacking. Here, a novel 4D printing is developed where multi-material digital light process 3D printing of shape memory polymers (SMPs) fabricates a structure that is later transformed into a complex 3D shape with robust mechanical properties by pneumatic manipulation. In this method, the shape change is controlled by the spatial distributions of SMPs, which is designed by finite element analysis. Experimental investigations are carried out to print various structured balloons with predefined intricate shapes, including a structure in dog-like shape and a surface with the human face contour. These structures are also endowed with robust mechanical stiffness and lightweight features, which allow this new 4D printing approach for potential applications in biomedical devices, reconfigurable structures, and metamaterials.     

Replacing unification by constraint satisfaction to improve logic program expressiveness

Unification, the heart of resolution, was formulated to work in the Herbrand universe and hence does not incorporate any function evaluation. Matching is completely syntactic. In this paper, we study the replacement of unification by a constraints solver in automatic theorem proving systems using Prolog as our example. The generalization of unification into a constraint satisfaction algorithm allows the (limited) incorporation of function evaluation into unification. Constraints are also allowed as literals in the clause. We discuss the enhanced expressive power that results from incorporating an efficient constrained unifier into an automatic theorem proving system. An interpreter for the extended Prolog system (written in Prolog) incorporating a constraint solver is presented along with examples illustrating its capabilities.     

Inhibition of pancreatic cancer growth by the dietary isoprenoids farnesol and geraniol

Fruits and vegetables have protective effects against many human cancers, including pancreatic cancer. Isoprenoids are one class of phytochemicals which have antitumor activity, but little is known about their effects on cancer of the pancreas. We tested the hypothesis that isoprenoids would inhibit the growth of pancreatic tumor cells. Significant (60–90%) inhibition of the anchorage-independent growth of human MIA PaCa2 pancreatic tumor cells was attained with 25 μM farnesol, 25 μM geranylgeraniol, 100 μM perillyl amine, 100 μM geraniol, or 300 μM perillyl alcohol. We then tested the relative in vivo antitumor activities of dietary farnesol, geraniol, and perilyl alcohol against transplanted PC-1 hamster pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Syrian Golden hamsters fed geraniol or farnesol at 20 g/kg diet exhibited complete inhibition of PC-1 pancreatic tumor growth. Both farnesol and geraniol were more potent than perillyl alcohol, which inhibited tumor growth by 50% at 40 g/kg diet. Neither body weights nor plasma cholesterol levels of animals consuming isoprenoid diets were significantly different from those of pair-fed controls. Thus, farnesol, geraniol, and perillyl alcohol suppress pancreatic tumor growth without significantly affecting blood cholesterol levels. These dietary isoprenoids warrant further investigation for pancreatic cancer prevention and treatment.     

Spectral confirmation of trans monounsaturated C18 fatty acid positional isomers

The trans octadecenoic acid methyl ester isomers were obtained from a partially hydrogenated soybean oil sample and isolated by silver-ion high-performance liquid chromatography. The double bond configuration was confirmed to be trans by using gas chromatography-direct deposition-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The double bond positions for nine individual trans octadecenoic acid positional isomers were confirmed by gas chromatography-electron ionization mass spectrometry after derivatization to 2-alkenyl-4,4-dimethyloxazoline. These nine trans positional isomers were resolved on either one of the two polar 100% cyanopropylpolysiloxane 100-m capillary columns, SP 2560 and Cp-Sil 88, at an isothermal temperature of 140°C. These nine isomers were confirmed to have double bonds at carbons C-8 through C-16. The pair of trans octadecenoic acid positional isomers with double bonds at C-13 and C-14 are reported for the first time to be resolved by gas chromatography. This work was presented in part at the 87th American Oil Chemists’ Society Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, IN, April 28–May 1, 1996.     

Oxidation of titanium carbide–graphite hetero-modulus ceramics with low carbon content: II. Physico-chemical interpretation of the ridge effect

Hetero-modulus ceramics (HMC) present the combination of a ceramic matrix with the inclusions of a dispersed phase with considerably lower Young's modulus, resulting in a material with significantly improved properties. An interpretation of the so-called “ridge effect” observed during the isobaric-isothermal oxidation of 93 vol% TiC–7 vol% C (graphite) HMC at temperatures of 400–1000 °C and oxygen pressures of 0.13–65 kPa is given. Established in Part I of this study, the meanings of a ridge temperature and ridge oxygen pressure, which are served as boundaries between prevailing oxidation mechanisms in phenomenological kinetics model, are considered on the basis of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and microscopy analyses. The oxidation mechanisms, essentially different within the studied ranges of temperatures and oxygen pressures are identified according to the developed general model. These results can be used for the preparation of special protective coatings on the surface of refractory carbide–carbon HMC parts applied in severe environments, e.g. chemically active, high-enthalpy gaseous flows.     

L-Theanine: properties, synthesis and isolation from tea

Theanine is a non-protein amino acid that occurs naturally in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and contributes to the favourable taste of tea. It is also associated with effects such as the enhancement of relaxation and the improvement of concentration and learning ability. It is also linked with health benefits including the prevention of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease, the promotion of weight loss and enhanced performance of the immune system. Thus, there has been a significant rise in the demand for theanine. While theanine has been chemically and biologically synthesised, techniques to isolate theanine from natural sources remain an important area of research. In this review article, the properties and health benefits of theanine are summarised and the synthesis and isolation of theanine are reviewed and discussed. Future perspectives for the isolation of theanine from natural sources are also outlined.