In-facility transport code review

The following computer codes were reviewed by the In-Facility Transport Working Group for application to the in-facility transport of radioactive aerosols, flammable gases, and/or toxic gases: (1) CONTAIN, (2) FIRAC, (3) GASFLOW, (4) KBERT, and (5) MELCOR. Based on the review criteria as described in this report and the versions of each code available at the time of the review, MELCOR is the best code for the analysis of in-facility transport when multidimensional effects are not significant. When multi-dimensional effects are significant, GASFLOW should be used

Waste gas combustion in a Hanford radioactive waste tank

It has been observed that a high-level radioactive waste tank generates quantities of hydrogen, ammonia, nitrous oxide, and nitrogen that are potentially well within flammability limits. These gases are produced from chemical and nuclear decay reactions in a slurry of radioactive waste materials. Significant amounts of combustible and reactant gases accumulate in the waste over a 110- to 120-d period. The slurry becomes Taylor unstable owing to the buoyancy of the gases trapped in a matrix of sodium nitrate and nitrite salts. As the contents of the tank roll over, the generated waste gases rupture through the waste material surface, allowing the gases to be transported and mixed with air in the cover-gas space in the dome of the tank. An ignition source is postulated in the dome space where the waste gases combust in the presence of air resulting in pressure and temperature loadings on the double-walled waste tank. This analysis is conducted with hydrogen mixing studies HMS, a three-dimensional, time-dependent fluid dynamics code coupled with finite-rate chemical kinetics. The waste tank has a ventilation system designed to maintain a slight negative gage pressure during normal operation. We modeled the ventilation system with the transient reactor analysis code (TRAC), and we coupled these two best-estimate accident analysis computer codes to model the ventilation system response to pressures and temperatures generated by the hydrogen and ammonia combustion

Evaluation of Calcium Hydroxide-Treated Stover (Second Crop) in Receiving and Growing Diets and Effects on Cattle Performance

Production of ethanol from corn as an alternative fuel source has significantly affected the pricing landscape for corn as an energy source for livestock. As ethanol usage has become more prevalent, corn prices have become more volatile, especially in critical corn-growing areas that have been affected by drought. Consequently, many beef cattle feeders have become interested in alternative energy sources in an effort to control cost of gain. Second Crop (ADM Corp., Decatur, IL) is a process in which calcium hydroxide is added to fibrous crop residues, such as wheat straw and corn stover. When applied to low-quality roughages, calcium hydroxide disrupts the chemical bonds between lignin and hemicellulose, thus improving digestibility of the fiber by ruminal microbes. Treatment of low-quality forage with the Second Crop process could improve the energy value of forages, effectively decreasing reliance on cereal grains as sources of supplemental energy

Zelnate on Arrival Could Decrease the Likelihood of Subsequent Pulls in Suspect Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex Cases

Antimicrobial metaphylaxis is an important tool used for the prevention of Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex; a disease with a large economic impact that typically affects newly-weaned beef calves that are marketed and transported a distance from their origin. There are questions involving the potential benefit of Zelnate, a novel non-antibiotic technology designed to activate an animal’s natural immunity to fight Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex, being used either solely or in combination with metaphylaxis at the time of initial processing of high risk calves. More knowledge is also needed regarding the possible effects of repeated use of Zelnate when subsequent therapy is required in individual Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex cases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Zelnate when used as part of an antimicrobial metaphylaxis treatment or when used in combination with an antibiotic when a calf is diagnosed with Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex

An HMS/TRAC analysis of a high-level radioactive waste tank

It has been observed that a high-level radioactive waste tank generates quantities of hydrogen and nitrous oxide mixtures that are potentially well within flammability limits. These gases are produced from chemical and nuclear decay reactions in a slurry of radioactive waste material. The slurry is covered by a thick crust composed of sodium nitrate and nitrite salts. Significant amounts of the combustible and reactant gases are produced over a 3- to 4-month period before the crust ruptures and the gases are vented into the air cover gas space above the crust. Postulating an ignition of the hydrogen/nitrous oxide/air mixture after this venting into the cover gas, we have calculated the pressure and temperature loading on the double-walled waste tank with the three-dimensional, time-dependent fluid dynamics coupled with chemical kinetics HMS (Hydrogen Mixing Studies) computer code. The waste tank has a ventilation system designed to maintain a slight negative gage pressure during steady-state operation. We have modeled the ventilation system with TRAC (the Transient Reactor Analysis Code), and we have coupled these two best-estimate accident analysis tools to provide the ventilation response to pressure and temperatures generated by the hydrogen burn. Significant pressures are produced by this event, and the threat to the tank's integrity currently is being evaluated. 3 refs., 4 figs

Horn Fly Control and Growth Implants are Effective Strategies for Heifers Grazing Flint Hills Pasture

Horn flies (Haematobia irritans (L.)) are considered the most important external parasite that negatively affects pasture-based beef systems with losses estimated to exceed $1 billion annually to the U.S. beef industry. Control strategies have relied heavily on insecticide applications to control horn flies and are implemented when the economic threshold of 200 flies/animal have been exceeded. When horn fly populations are maintained below 200 flies/animal by treating them with insecticides then the level of stress annoyance behaviors such as leg stomping, head throwing, and skin twitching decreases while grazing increases. While most stocker operators utilize some type of fly control these are rarely used as a single pharmaceutical technology to aid in performance of the animals. Additional pharmaceutical technologies are utilized in combination of others, with the use of de-wormers and implants showing the largest impact with performance of stockers. The objective of this study was to compare a commercial injectable insecticide, LongRange, to an insecticidal ear tag for horn fly control and determine the impact of weight performance on stockers when fly control technologies were used in combination with implants versus no implants

Syngenta Enogen Feed Corn Containing an Alpha Amylase Expression Trait Improves Digestibility in Growing Calf Diets

Objective: To evaluate the digestibility parameters of growing cattle when fed Enogen Feed corn. Study Description: Seven cannulated Holstein steers were used to determine the effects on digestibility when fed Enogen Feed corn (Syngenta) as whole-corn or processed as dry-rolled at ad libitum intake. The Bottom Line: When Enogen Feed corn was fed in an ad libitum fashion to growing calves, dry matter and organic matter are digested to a greater extent relative to yellow corn

TRAC-BD1: transient reactor analysis code for boiling-water systems

The Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) version of the Transient Reactor Analysis Code (TRAC) is being developed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) to provide an advanced best-estimate predictive capability for the analysis of postulated accidents in BWRs. The TRAC-BD1 program provides the Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) analysis capability for BWRs and for many BWR related thermal hydraulic experimental facilities. This code features a three-dimensional treatment of the BWR pressure vessel; a detailed model of a BWR fuel bundle including multirod, multibundle, radiation heat transfer, leakage path modeling capability, flow-regime-dependent constitutive equation treatment, reflood tracking capability for both falling films and bottom flood quench fronts, and consistent treatment of the entire accident sequence. The BWR component models in TRAC-BD1 are described and comparisons with data presented. Application of the code to a BWR6 LOCA is also presented

Digestibility of Dry Matter is Better and Manure Output is Lower in Growing Cattle Limit-Fed a High-Energy Diet During the Growing Phase Compared to a Traditional Roughage-Based Diet Fed for Ad Libitum Intake

Objective: Evaluate the impact on intake and digestion of a high-energy diet limit-fed at 85% of the ad libitum daily consumption of a roughage-based diet on a dry matter (DM) basis compared to a traditional roughage-based growing diet in growing cattle. Study Description: Eight ruminally cannulated crossbred Angus heifers (body weight = 450 ± 24 lb) were used in a cross-over design with two consecutive 15-day periods at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit. Two dietary treatments were fed: (1) 45 Mcal of net energy for gain (NEg) per 100 lb of DM fed for ad libitum DM intake (45AL), or (2) 60 Mcal NEg per 100 lb of DM limit-fed at 85% of 45AL diet intake on a DM basis (60LF85%). Both diets contained 40% of DM as Sweet Bran (Cargill Animal Nutrition, Blair, NE). Heifers were fed once daily at 10:00 a.m. Each 15-day period included 10 days for diet adaption, 4 days for fecal sampling, and 1 day for ruminal sampling. Daily nutrient intake was measured and apparent total-tract diet digestibility using chromic oxide (Cr2O3) marker was determined. Results: Ruminal pH was greater (P \u3c 0.01) from 10:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. just before feeding for heifers fed 60LF85% than 45AL heifers. Diet digestibility was improved by 5.2% (P \u3c 0.01) and fecal DM output 35% lower (P \u3c 0.01) in heifers fed 60LF85% than heifers fed 45AL. The Bottom Line: Heifers limit-fed a high-energy diet based on corn and Sweet Bran had greater ruminal pH during the overnight hours, better diet digestibility, and reduced output of manure than heifers full-fed a traditional roughage-based diet

Feed Efficiency is Better and Activity is Greater in Growing Cattle Limit-Fed a High-Energy Diet During the Growing Phase Compared to a Traditional Roughage-Based Diet Fed for Ad Libitum Intake

The objective of this experiment was to compare performance impacts of a high-energy diet limit-fed at 2.2% of body weight (BW) daily on a dry matter (DM) basis to a traditional roughage-based diet fed for ad libitum intake during the growing phase. Study Description: Three hundred seventy crossbred heifers (initial BW = 496 ± 44 lb) were used in a receiving and growing study at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit in the spring of 2020. Animals were fed once daily at 7:00 a.m. Bunks were visually observed, and feed refused was estimated. Ad libitum feed refusal was targeted at 20 lb. A pen scale was used to measure weekly pen BW, adjust feed offerings, and to calculate pen performance. The Bottom Line: Growing heifers limit-fed a high-energy diet at 2.2% of BW daily on a DM basis had 35% better feed efficiency and were more active by 23 minutes per day, on average, than heifers full-fed a traditional roughage-based diet