Title: Energy and technology review

The Innovative Control Technology Advisory Panel (ICTAP) has reviewed the available summary information on innovative control technologies currently in the RandD and demonstration stages, and has developed an inventory of worldwide clean coal technology demonstration projects which is included as an Appendix to this report. The primary purpose of this review was to develop relevant information that would fill in gaps in technology development or deployment or would be otherwise appropriate for consideration by the Secretary of Energy in implementing more effectively future federal solicitations concerning innovative control technologies. 3 figs. 4 tabs.

This issue highlights research being conducted in six emerging engineering technologies: materials engineering, modal analysis, nondestructive evaluation, microwaves and pulsed power, remote sensing and signal engineering, and diagnostics and microelectronics. Interdisciplinary research in materials engineering ranges from studies of state-or-the-art materials, such as composite laminates and Hadfeld steels with ultrafine grains, to investigations of the aging characteristics of commonly used elastomers. The goal is to understand quantitatively the physical and mechanical properties of materials that have important engineering applications. By combining new developments in high-resolution inspection systems, data analysis, and acoustics models, an improved ability to quantify both the ultrasonicmore » and radiographic inspection processes has been obtained. Investigations of the resonant frequencies and other modal parameters of structures used at the Laboratory to house experimental equipment ensure the stability and integrity of structures during physics experiments. A broad-based program of research is being conducted for improving the ability to generate high-power microwaves and high-power electron beams, extending electrical switching into new high-power domains, improving the electrical performance of dielectric materials, and studying electromagnetic coupling phenomena as they relate to weapon vulnerability. Finally, methods for extracting useful information from noisy or distorted signals have a wide variety of energy and defense applications. 35 refs., 37 figs., 3 tabs.« less

This paper contains reprinted articles that record several milestones in laser research at LLNL. ''Neodymium-Glass Laser Research and Development at LLNL'' recounts the history of the Laser Program and our work on neodymium-glass lasers. ''Nova Laser Technology'' describes the capabilities of the Nova laser and some of its uses. ''Building Nova: Industry Relations and Technology Transfer'' illustrates the Laboratory's commitment to work with US industry in technology development. ''Managing the Nova Laser Project'' details the organization and close monitoring of costs and schedules during the construction of the Nova laser facility. The article ''Optical Coatings by the Sol-Gel Process,'' describesmore » our chemical process for making the damage-resistant, antireflective silica coatings used on the Nova laser glass. The technical challenges in designing and fabricating the KDP crystal arrays used to convert the light wave frequency of the Nova lasers are reported in ''Frequency Conversion of the Nova Laser.'' Two articles, ''Eliminating Platinum Inclusions in Laser Glass'' and ''Detecting Microscopic Inclusions in Optical Glass,'' describe how we dealt with the problem of damaging metal inclusions in the Nova laser glass. The last article reprinted here, ''Auxilliary Target Chamber for Nova,'' discusses the diversion of two of Nova's ten beamlines into a secondary chamber for the purpose of increasing our capacity for experimentation.« less

The DOE magnetic fusion energy program is considered. Budget testimony is provided.

The Basic Energy Sciences Research Program at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory is discussed. Specific nuclear science topics include: measuring the hydrogen and helium produced by fusion neutron reactions; neutron induced reactions in heavy elements; and probing nuclear structure with improved electron-scattering techniques. In materials sciences these areas are covered: studying hot corrosion in coal conversion systems; nonlinear effects in optical materials; absorptivity and damage thresholds in laser glass; infrared spectra of deuterium-tritium; and rapidly quenched beryllium alloys. (GHT)