Argonne News

Cheaper and more energy-efficient paper production could result from an innovation developed at Argonne. Multiport dryer technology, which won an R&D 100 award from R&D magazine as one of the top 100 scientific and technological innovations in the world during 2005, improves the process of paper drying, the final step in paper production.

In the current process, paper is dried by passing over 30 to 100 large-diameter, steam-heated cylinders, which requires a significant amount of energy and associated capital investment.

Argonne's multiport dryer has a series of longitudinally oriented passages, or “ports,” near the inner surface of the drying cylinders; essentially a metal cylinder with long, thin channels indented in the sides from top to bottom. This cylinder fits closely inside the outer drying cylinder, forming tubes that carry steam against the dryer cylinder's surface. This multiport flow configuration increases the rate of heat transfer, drying the paper faster and saving energy.

The basic technology used for paper drying dates back to 1821, when T. B. Crompton patented a method of drying paper continuously by using a woven fabric to hold sheets of wet paper against steam-heated drying cylinders. After it had been dried, the paper was cut at the end of the last cylinder.

Since then, a number of innovations have improved the process, such as packless rotary joints (1933), close-clearance rotary syphons (1965), spoiler bars (1973) and single-tier drying (1987).

“Argonne's multiport dryer may become one of these major innovations in drying,” said mechanical engineer Stephen U.S. Choi (ET). He and senior engineer Ralph Niemann (ET) developed the multiport dryer in collaboration with David France, Gregory Wedel and Gerald Timm.

The multiport dryer has been in the works since 1996, when Choi submitted a proposal to DOE's Industrial Technologies Program. The invention is now in final prototype development and testing. It is being designed so that it may be installed in existing dryer cylinders. Exact details of the cost are still being determined, but the likely price for the retrofit will be under $10,000, which is less than 20 percent of the installed cost of a new dryer.

The multiport dryer technology is supported by one U.S. patent, which was issued in June 2002 and is owned by The University of Chicago until 2020. The technology is available for licensing. Funding was provided by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy through its Industrial Technologies Program.

The 2006 annual performance appraisal cycle ends Saturday, Sept. 30. The cycle covers the performance period Oct. 1, 2005, through Sept. 30, 2006. Performance appraisals will be completed for all regular full- and part-time employees who were active as of July 1, 2006.

This year, performance appraisals will be available a week later than usual to accommodate transition and organizational changes.

Monday, Oct. 9: The performance appraisal Web application will be available on Inside Argonne and remain open throughout the performance appraisal period.

October 9-23: All employees will have data entry access to their performance appraisals to enter draft assessments and goals. Supervisors also will have data entry access during this time and throughout the performance appraisal period.

Oct. 24-Dec. 17: ALDs/divisions will set internal calendars for completion of performance appraisals.

Monday, Dec. 18: Completed performance appraisal forms are due electronically in Human Resources.

More information will appear in future editions of Argonne News. Updated information and resources will be available soon on Inside Argonne. Employees with questions can also contact HR/Performance Development at ext. 2-3410.

The Argonne Combined Appeal will run only a partial campaign this October, and it will be conducted electronically. During the last week in September, employees will receive instructions via e-mail on how to electronically access their pledge cards during October. Employees who do not have access to e-mail will receive materials through interoffice mail.

The next full Combined Appeal campaign will take place in May 2007. The schedule change was made to move the campaign away from the busy fiscal year transition. The partial campaign will cover employee donations during the interim period from November 2006 through May 2007.

Starting Oct. 1, motorcycle and bicycle riders will be required to wear helmets on site, even though helmets are not required under Illinois law. In addition, moped riders, inline skaters, even users of wheeled cross-country ski trainers, all must wear helmets while on site.

Helmets must be Department of Transportation (DOT) approved. The Protective Force will issue tickets to enforce the new rules.

“If you're on wheels and you're not inside a car, helmet use is mandatory,” said EQO Director Bob McCook. “This laboratory is all about brainpower, so it's just common sense to protect our greatest asset.”

About two-thirds of the fatally injured motorcycle riders in states without universal helmet laws in 2004 (the most recent year for which data are available) were not wearing helmets. In states with universal helmet laws, that number is 15 percent, according to a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report.

About 540,000 bicyclists visit emergency rooms with injuries every year. Of those, about 67,000 have head injuries, and 27,000 have injuries serious enough to be hospitalized. Estimates of the percentage of brain injuries among bicyclists that could be prevented by helmet use range from 45 to 88 percent.

The new helmet rule is part of a new site-wide traffic safety push. In addition to the new helmet policy, drivers must:

Obey speed limits at all times. Mobile radar units will be placed around the site to display the speed of approaching vehicles. The site speed limit is 30 mph unless otherwise posted. The maximum speed in a parking lot is 10 mph, and the maximum speed through all gates is 15 mph.

Drivers must yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, but pedestrians must not enter crosswalks so suddenly that oncoming vehicles cannot yield.

Line management will follow up and respond when the security force issues a citation. The response could result in individual employees, occupants, guests, visitors, students and users losing their driving privileges on the Argonne site. Employees expecting visitors are responsible for informing them about Argonne policies that apply.

The CIS Help Desk (ext. 2-9999 option 2) is now taking calls formerly taken by Network Operations.

The Help Desk staff will open a trouble ticket documenting the problem or request along with the necessary supporting information. A network engineer will contact the caller to provide assistance in resolving the problem or providing the service. To request help via e-mail, send to help@anl.gov.

The CIS Help Desk hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Outside of these hours, emergency help is available by calling ext. 2-9999 option 4; an off-site operator will take your information and contact a network engineer. Callers will be contacted by an engineer for additional information and again when the problem has been resolved.

The Argonne Women in Science and Technology (WIST) Program is currently accepting applications for the position of WIST Program Initiator (WPI).

Established in 1990, the WIST program supports laboratory goals to diversify and strengthen the scientific and technical workforce at Argonne. WIST activities seek to encourage young women to pursue careers in science and technology, promote the success of women in scientific and technical positions, and promote equity at all levels within Argonne so as to contribute to a best-in-class R&D institution. The WPI facilitates WIST activities under the guidance of a 10-member Steering Committee. Duties of the WPI include:

Promote involvement of women in educational and performance development programs

Work with Human Resources to identify trends in hiring, promotion and retention of women and recommend actions

Interested employees should forward a cover letter and resume to Don Joyce, Office of the Director, Building 201, Room 254, or by fax to ext. 2-7923, by Friday, Sept. 29. For more information about the position and WIST, contact Kirsten Laurin-Kovitz, current WPI, at kirsten@anl.gov, or ext. 2-4143. More information about the program is also available online.

Men and women 55 to 70 years old are needed for a research study on the effects of cigarette smoking and cadmium on bone health.

Both smokers and non-smokers are needed. Women must be at least four years past menopause and not currently taking hormone replacement therapy. Volunteers should be generally healthy.

Participants will receive financial compensation for their role in the study, and each person will get a free ultrasound heel scan for osteoporosis.

Luncheon information sessions (with food provided) will be held at Argonne Wednesday, Sept. 20, and Tuesday, Sept 26, at noon in Building 202, Room B169.

Additional information on the study has been posted on bulletin boards throughout the Argonne site and is available through principal investigator Maryka H. Bhattacharyya (BIO) at mhbhatt@anl.gov or research associate Andrea Ebert-McNeill (BIO) at aebertmc@anl.gov.

Bhattacharyya has conducted research at Argonne on the effects of cadmium on bone for 30 years. She has made significant contributions to understanding how cadmium causes bone loss and seeks to learn how her results might apply to humans.

Three Argonne employees were on a team that received a Bronze Medal Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

The award, for advancing the Triad approach to improve site assessment and cleanup, went to John Ditmars, Robert Johnson and David Miller, all of the Environmental Science Division.

The Triad approach guides the making of decisions related to hazardous waste sites. Its three primary components are systematic planning, dynamic work strategies and real-time measurement systems. The approach can accelerate project schedules, reduce overall project costs and improve project outcomes.

The University of Chicago Board of Governors for Argonne is sponsoring an education colloquium and panel discussion from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, in the Building 362 Auditorium.

Keynote speaker will be William Bates, vice president for government affairs of the Council on Competitiveness and executive director of the council's Forum on Technology & Innovation. Bates will speak on “By the Numbers: Catalyzing the Next Generation of Innovators.”

The panel discussion will focus on how educational institutions, national laboratories, business and industry can help to maximize the number of students pursuing careers in science and engineering.

Argonne is working with Apple Computer to replace recalled lithium-ion batteries from Argonne-owned Apple laptops.

Apple has recalled 1.8 million Sony batteries used in its iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 laptops worldwide; 1.1 million of those are in the United States. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the batteries could overheat and become a fire hazard. Apple has received nine reports of overheating, two reports of users receiving minor burns and an unspecified number of property damage claims.

The recalled lithium-ion batteries were used with the following computers: 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4. No other Apple notebook computers are involved in this recall.

CIS is working with Apple to determine the number of potentially defective batteries. In cooperation with Procurement and EQO, CIS is coordinating an exchange of eligible batteries with Apple. Employees with 12-inch and 15-inch iBook G4 or PowerBook G4 models purchased between October 2003 and August 2006 should go to Apple's Web site to determine if your battery is one being recalled. Although this page includes a Web form for initiating an exchange of defective batteries, do not initiate an exchange yourself due to federal transportation regulations concerning the shipment of lithium-ion batteries.

Employees with a recalled battery or who would like assistance in determining if a battery is eligible for exchange should contact the CIS Help Desk at 2-9999, option 2, or help@anl.gov. CIS and the Argonne Shipping Department will coordinate to safely ship the batteries to Apple in accordance with federal regulations.

CIS and EQO recommend that a battery identified for replacement should be removed from the laptop and hand-delivered to the CIS Help Desk in Building 222, Room A156, for safe storage until replacements are received.

If an exchange has already been initiated, the CIS Help Desk should be notified of this for tracking purposes, and the old battery with all shipping papers from Apple should be brought to the CIS Help Desk; CIS will coordinate with Argonne's shipping department to ensure the safe shipping of batteries within federal regulations.

Questions regarding the recall can be directed to Jim Dust (CIS) at ext. 2-8540. Safety-related questions regarding lithium-ion batteries should be directed to Bob Arthurs (EQO) at ext. 2-8227.

Craft Club seeks vendors for bazaar

The Craft Club is seeking vendors for its annual Holiday Craft Bazaar.

Interested employees should contact Noreen Sorensen (MSD) at ext. 2-4634 or Valerie Gaines (TSD-TIS) at ext. 2-5610.

Health screenings, information offered at fair

“Health Fair 2006” will be held Tuesday, Sept. 19. The fair will give employees a chance to interact with representatives from the laboratory's health care vendors and companies who provide health care services.

The Health Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Building 213 Cafeteria.

Chair massages and carbon monoxide testing will be offered as well as computerized spinal analysis, information on cardiovascular health and more.

The Health Fair is sponsored by Human Resources.

Volunteers needed for Oct. 7 open house

Employees are needed to help greet visitors and distribute programs at Argonne's Open House Saturday, Oct. 7. Volunteers can assist for a half-day or through the entire open house. Gates will open to the public at 9 a.m. and close at 4:30 p.m. To volunteer, call ext. 2-5515.

The open house will feature tours, displays and demonstrations on energy, environment, chemistry, physics, biology, computing, materials science, transportation and nuclear engineering. The open house is geared to visitors of all ages. For details, see the link on the Argonne home page.

Reprint and page charges now processed through PARIS

Argonne employees can now use PARIS (Argonne's Procurement and Requisition Integrated System) to order Argonne-authored reprints and pay publication costs such as page charges or color plate charges.

The new PARIS capability resulted from a joint project by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer and the Technical Services Division (TSD). Reprint and page charge orders placed through PARIS are routed to TSD's library purchasing group for processing.

PARIS orders now replace the paper ANL-595 form, which will be accepted only through Sept. 30. Instructions for using PARIS to order reprints and page charges are available at the “Library Services” section of www.aim.anl.gov and from Nancy Wunderlich (TSD) at ext. 2-4270.

2006 Argonne named fellowships awarded; candidates for 2007 fellowships sought

2006 Argonne Named Fellowships have been awarded to three doctoral scientists and engineers who are at early points in promising careers. These recipients were selected from a group of more than 100 applicants.

The Argonne Director's Office initiated the Argonne Named Postdoctoral Fellowships in 2003. The fellowships are named after scientific and technical luminaries who have been associated with the laboratory, its predecessors and The University of Chicago since the 1940s.

Recipients are:

Deirdre Horan from University College, Dublin, Ireland, was awarded the David N. Schramm Postdoctoral Fellowship. Horan joined the High Energy Physics Division in September.

Karena W. Chapman from University of Sydney was awarded the Arthur Holly Compton Postdoctoral Fellowship. Chapman joined the Experimental Facilities Division in August.

Craig Fennie from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, was awarded the Nicholas Metropolis Postdoctoral Fellowship. Fennie will join the Materials Science Division in October.

The laboratory is confident that these candidates will contribute to Argonne's programs and will go on to become outstanding leaders in the research they pursue.

2007 candidates sought

Candidates for the FY 2007 program are currently being sought. Announcements have been placed in a number of journals. All are encouraged to participate in recruiting well qualified applicants; more information is available online. The deadline for receipt of applications is Oct. 13.

Return radiation badges promptly

By Andrea Cipriani

The radiation badges that about 2,000 Argonne employees wear to monitor radiation exposure are due for their quarterly collection during the week of Sept. 25. Badges should be returned to their storage racks or to the local health physics office before the end of the day Friday, Sept. 29. Employees who will be on vacation or on travel that doesn't require a badge should place their badges in the racks before leaving.

Last quarter's campaign for on-time badge return helped reduce the late return rate from more than 25 percent to less than five percent, said Argonne External Dosimetry Group Supervisor Gerald Davidson (EQO). This facilitated better control of exposures by enabling quicker reports to health physicists and managers. It also reduced processing costs because on-time badges are read automatically in large batches. Part of late-badge processing must be performed manually.

EQO Division Director Bob McCook praised laboratory employees for their help in improving the on-time return rate and saw the accomplishment as a step forward in achieving a better and more efficient safety program.

“Turning the radiation badges in on time might not seem like a big issue. But small efforts can make huge impacts on processes. With thousands of badges distributed per year, on-time return can eliminate hundreds of hours spent chasing late badges.”

Employees who have radiation dosimeters must wear them in all radiologically controlled areas or whenever postings indicate. During non-work hours, all dosimeters should be stored in designated badge racks. An Argonne employee should not take a dosimeter off site unless the employee expects to incur occupational exposure that would not be reported back to Argonne by the facility visited. An employee who travels with a dosimeter should avoid exposing it to an airport X-ray machine, as this will make it useless for determining occupational exposure.

It is important that dosimeters be worn facing outward. The preferred location for wearing a single dosimeter is the upper torso, where it will give the best estimate of whole-body dose equivalent.

Lab to mark ‘Drive Safely Work Week' Oct. 2 - 6

Argonne will participate in “Drive Safely Work Week” Oct. 2-6, a workplace traffic safety campaign aimed at the importance of driving safely both on and off the job to eliminate preventable crashes.

This year's campaign will promote 10 positive steps that each driver can take to ensure their safety and the safety of others sharing the road. Phil Rash, incoming chairman of the laboratory's Traffic Safety Committee maintains the laboratory's commitment to safety and the importance of this campaign.

“Safety is every driver's responsibility,” Rash said. “Make the commitment to be a responsible driver and make the roadways safer for everyone. It is a continual learning process, and the reminders offered during this campaign could save your life or the life of someone else.”

Driving is an everyday activity, whether it's commuting to and from work, business-related travel or driving during off-duty hours. Driving is a serious responsibility that deserves full, undivided attention due to roadway and shoulder distractions. Other drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and children may not always be focused and aware of your vehicle. Informed drivers make better decisions that keep the roads safer.

“Our laboratory joins thousands of other employers across the country in support of this lifesaving campaign to protect you and your family members while on the roadway,” Rash said.

One of the activities planned during Drive Safely Work Week is a bicycle and motorcycle safety presentation from a representative of the Du Page County Sheriff's Office. Look for more details and employee thoughts on the campaign to follow.

Pioneers plan annual dinner-dance

The Argonne Pioneers will hold their 21st annual reunion dinner Sunday, Oct. 15, at the Orland Chateau Restaurant, 14500 LaGrange Road, Orland Park.

The Pioneers include all current and former Argonne, Met Lab, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC/DOE) and Credit Union employees who worked in these organizations between 1942 and 1976. This also includes all present employees with 30 years or more of service. Spouses and guests of those attending are welcome.

The cost is $25 per person, including tax and tip, for the family-style dinner. Registration and friendship time will be 2-4 p.m., immediately followed by dinner. A cash bar will be available. Music for dancing will be provided.

Reservations must be made by Monday, Oct. 9, because the restaurant requires a firm commitment of the number of attendees. Reservations cannot be accepted nor will refunds be made after that date. Checks should be sent and made payable to Argonne Pioneers Reunion, c/o Evie Fagan, 1032 Pinewood Drive, Downers Grove, IL 60516. Register using the form to the right; those who cannot attend the dinner should still fill out the appropriate lines on the form and mail it to Fagan, to avoid being dropped from the mailing list.

Argonne Pioneers Committee members are Evie Fagan, Ken Okolowitz, Evelyn Rutkowski, and Mary Ann Tomkins. For more information, contact Evie Fagan at 630-960-5563. No refund can be made after Oct. 9.

Argonne Pioneer Reunion Registration

I am a “PIONEER” and plan to attend reunion on 10-16-06.

Years employed: From To Dept/Div

NAME OF PIONEER:

ADDRESS:

CITY / ST / ZIP:

I plan to bring my spouse/guest.

Name of spouse/guest

Is guest a “PIONEER”: o Yes o No

If yes, years employed: From To Dept/Div

I will not be able to attend but would like to be informed of any future events.

Enclosed is my check in the amount of $ made out to the Argonne Pioneers Reunion.

Please mail completed registration form and check to the Argonne Pioneers Reunion, c/o Evie Fagan, 1032 Pinewood Drive, Downers Grove, IL 60516, or provide to any Argonne Pioneers Committe member. NOTE: Your canceled check is your receipt. No refunds after Oct. 10.

Retirees

John Attig (AES) retired Aug. 15 with 12 years of service.

Marcos Grimsditch (MSD) retired Aug. 31 with 26 years of service.

Amy B. Hull (ET) retired Aug. 24 with 18 years of service.

Jay Liaw (NE) retired Aug. 4 with 27 years of service.

Nancy Marley (EVS) retired Aug. 18 with 17 years of service.

Shannon D. Savage (TSD) retired July 21 with 28 years of service.

John D. Taylor (EVS) retired Aug. 31 with 31 years of service.

Service Awards for September include:

35 Years

James M. Cruz (PFS), Gopal K. Shenoy (XSD), David Spence (NE)

30 Years

Alex Hamilton (PFS), Kimberly A. Lindgren (NOD), James F. Miller (CMT), David G. Underwood (HEP)

20 Years

Robert E. Blair (HEP), Robert W. Dunford (CHM), Wei Gai (HEP), Sai-Chi Mo (NE), Cynthia Powell-Tagoe (PFS), Christine T. Snyder (CMT)

15 Years

Regina Buckley (PME), Michael Douell (ASD), Ann E. Murray (ES), Anne Wyand Owens (XSD), Montez L. Poe (PFS)

10 Years

Orlando H. Auciello (MSD), Zhonghou Cai (XSD), Thomas Gog (XSD), Carol G. Lepzelter Berry (TSD), Nicholas S. Sereno (ASD), Peggy A. Stepuszek (HR), Jennifer Tucker (EQO), Rikutaro Yoshida (HEP)

5 Years

Sandra Gail Biedron (AST), Jakub P. Dobrzynski (ET), Rosa P. Foote (SCD), Joel P. Fuerst (PHY), Evangeline S. Gohoure (HR), Valentyn Novosad (MSD), Rakesh A. Patel (BIO), Ronald M. Scott (PFS), Catherine L. Westfall (OTD), Wenhua Yu (ET)

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