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by Amy M. Kile
Argonne has joined a $1.29 million project that will make U.S. steel companies more competitive and maximize furnace life.
The U.S. steel industry produces more than 100 million tons of steel annually. Blast furnaces that convert iron into molten iron are crucial components of steel companies, many of which are located in Northwest Indiana. Because of aging technology, Indiana's steel industry is losing its competitive edge.
Those working on the project will use the two-year grant to develop technology software that will use advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD), a method of solving fluid flow and heat transfer problems. This technology allows engineers to evaluate and predict erosion patterns within blast furnaces.
Engineers using the CFD model-based monitoring and control technology will be able to optimize blast furnace operating conditions by anticipating and correcting problems without shutting down the furnace. This could extend the normal 10-15 year life of a blast furnace to 20 years, reducing costs and giving Indiana's steel industry a more competitive edge.
"Advanced CFD modeling is a powerful tool for providing detailed information on furnace conditions and parametric effects for optimizing their performance," said Shen-Lin Chang (ES), a mechanical engineer who is working on the project. "This project will develop a state-of-the-art CFD model to evaluate erosion patterns in a blast furnace hearth, which is the most critical part for the life of the furnace."
Over the past 20 years, Argonne has developed strong CFD capabilities, including multiphase flow simulation. Argonne will assist Purdue University Calumet in developing comprehensive CFD simulation of a blast furnace hearth. In addition, Argonne will develop control strategies for reducing erosion and increasing furnace life.
"The project will not only help steel companies, but enhance Argonne's CFD capabilities and boost the laboratory's long-standing research and development partnership with universities and industries," said Chang.
The software development project, led by Chenn Zhou, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue Calumet, is a joint effort between Argonne, Purdue University Calumet, Purdue's West Lafayette campus, Ispat Inland Inc., U.S. Steel and Indiana Industries. Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund, which was established to support high-tech economic expansion within the state, will provide funding for the endeavor.
When the project is completed, the CFD software will be available for the entire steel industry and the collaborative effort will advance blast furnace and CFD technology while improving the economy and education in Northwest Indiana.
The outside temperature has finally risen above freezing, and a few warm, sunny days have eased cabin fever, but the constantly changing spring weather means severe thunderstorms and tornadoes can strike at any time.
Some 25-30 tornadoes occur annually in Illinois during March, April and May. Idaho averages about one tornado a year.
Tornado watches and warnings have specific meanings:
A watch means conditions are right for
a tornado to form. Argonne-East employees and visitors will be alerted to a tornado watch issued by
the National Weather Service by an alert tone sounded on the site-wide address system. The tone
will be followed by an announcement.
A warning means a tornado has either
been sighted in the area or detected by radar. Sirens will sound and a site-wide announcement will
direct employees to head immediately to the nearest designated tornado shelter. When in the shelter
remain calm and quiet. This will allow you to better listen for further advisories.
Pay attention to public announcements
or listen to a weather radio to monitor weather conditions.
Know the safest place and best route
to a tornado shelter area. Tornado shelter areas are clearly marked in Argonne buildings. When a
warning sounds, go there immediately and wait for the all-clear. Direct visitors to the nearest
tornado shelter. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most fatalities and injuries.
Don't waste time opening windows to
prevent the building from "exploding." Flying debris from tornados will most likely break the
windows anyway. Use the time to find shelter.
Although it was once thought that the
southwest corner of a structure was the best bet for tornado protection, studies have shown this is
not true. Instead opt for an underground structure, such as a basement, or, if no basement is
available, an interior hallway. Get under a stairwell, heavy table or workbench for extra
protection.
Drivers should not try to outrun a
tornado, which can move at speeds of 60 miles per hour or faster. If caught outside, drive away
from the tornado at a right angle. If the tornado appears to be heading toward you, leave the
vehicle and move as far away from the road as possible. This will reduce the probability of being
crushed by a vehicle thrown by the storm. Find a ditch or low area and cover your head.
Area emergency supervisors have
details for employees working in trailers who need to seek stronger shelter.
Employees using hazardous materials
may need to secure them during a tornado watch. Any sensitive or classified materials should also
be secured.
If a tornado warning is announced
during lunchtime, employees Argonne-East's Building 213 Cafeteria will be directed to shelter
areas. Cafeteria tornado shelter areas include the basement locker rooms, the dock area stairwell,
the kitchen area (but not the serving area), the supply and storage rooms on the southeast corner
of the building and the bathrooms near the entrance.
All Argonne facilities will test
their building emergency plans for tornado sheltering. Familiarize yourself with shelter locations
and the best routes to them. Area emergency supervisors have building-specific information. For
site-wide informaiton, contact Argonne-East Emergency Management Officer Gary Winner at ext.
2-5991.
Argonne-East will celebrate the contributions of its administrative professionals Wednesday, April 23, in the Building 213 Cafeteria.
A free buffet breakfast will be served at 8 a.m., and the program will start at 8:45 a.m. All secretaries and clerical employees are invited to attend.
Results of a review of Women in Science and Technology (WIST) program, and recommendations for future goals, will be the topic of a special First Friday Forum meeting Friday, April 18, at 12:15 p.m., in Building 202, room B169.
Maryka Bhattacharyya (BIO) and Kirsten Laurin-Kovitz (NE) will summarize results of a newly-finalized report of the WIST Re-evaluation Subcommittee. Recommendations for a re-configuration of WIST to achieve a broader base of participation at Argonne will be presented and discussed. Input from attendees will be vital in finalizing the new configuration and strengthening communication.
The Re-Evaluation Subcommittee efforts included:
A survey of scientific and technical
women at Argonne to identify needs and concerns
Compiling data on the number and grade
levels of scientific and technical women to determine status
A revised structure, mission and goals
of WIST to address current needs and climate
Recommendations for WIST and Argonne
management
The new "Inside Argonne" Web site ( www.inside.anl.gov) provides employees the ability to access their earnings statements and W-2 forms 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Known as IPAY, employees can view, print or download their pay information or complete W-4 forms online, which can be printed and submitted to the Payroll Department for processing.
Upon registration, employees may elect to have automatic e-mail notification when their current earnings statements are available.
From the "Inside Argonne" home page or directly from home, access paystatements.adp.com. Employees will need their most recent check stubs for the information needed for the initial registration as a "First Time Visitor" The requested information includes:
The last four digits of your Social
Security number
Company code (PDU, PDZ or NWD)
File number (Badge #)
Voucher or check number
Pay date (format is mm/dd/yyyy)
After providing this information, employees can create their personal user ID and password to be used when logging onto the site for viewing of future pay statements. Pay statements will be available for viewing by 9 a.m. CST on payday. Checks that have been voided by the Payroll Department will not appear in IPAY.
For more information, call the Payroll Department's Debra Pounds at ext. 2-6916 or Kathy Vana at ext. 2-7356.
By Amy M. Kile
Micheal A. Smith (RAE), an assistant nuclear engineer, has won the Mark Mills Award from the American Nuclear Society (ANS).
The Mark Mills Award recognizes a graduate student who submits the best technical paper. The paper must be a student's original work and contribute to the advancement of science and engineering related to the nucleus.
Smith received the award for his PhD dissertation, "A Finite Subelement Generalization of the Variational Nodal Method." He created a program that allows researchers to model whole-core reactor physics problems by substituting a complex problem with a simplified one.
A whole-core reactor contains hundreds of fuel assemblies consisting of fuel pins held together by grid spacers. When taken as a complete structure, these assemblies make whole-core reactor physics problems so complex that they're nearly unmanageable.
But because Smith's nodal approach allows each fuel assembly to be modeled as a regular geometrical node -- a box or hexagonal prism -- problems can be solved using much simpler techniques. While other three-dimensional approaches to modeling nuclear reactor problems limit geometrical flexibility and overall problem size, the nodal approach gives researchers a solvable system of equations that do not require heavy computation.
Currently Smith is working on extending the capabilities of this approach to improve efficiency, accuracy and reduce the memory-size requirement needed for problem solving.
Smith has presented other papers for which he has received best paper and presentation honors at national ANS conferences. He said that he was honored to receive the Mark Mills Award.
"I attribute my success in part to my thesis advisor, professor N. Tsoulfanidis, and co-advisor professor E.E. Lewis," said Smith.
The ANS is a not-for-profit organization that brings together the fields of nuclear science and technology. The society sponsors more than 20 awards each year, including those that recognize achievements in education, industry, research and service.
NEW ARRIVALS
A girl, Anusri, born Jan. 20 to Vijaya and Srinath Sanyadanam (IPNS); a girl, Tara Rebecca, born Dec. 30 to Maria and Jaby Jacob (IPNS); a girl, Arianna, born March 15 to Lina and Jacob Urquidi (IPNS) a girl, Emma, born to Laurie and Paul Hovland (MCS); a girl, Elizabeth Leah, born Oct. 13 to Igor and Olga Matlin (MCS); a girl, Eva Horsch, born Nov. 27 to Karla and Steve Tuecke (MCS); a girl, Julia, born Dec. 19 to Magdalena and Mihai Anitescu (MCS); a boy, Nathan, born March 17 to Tim and Sheri Mickelson (MCS).
Proud grandparents: a granddaughter, Skye Nicole, born Nov. 4 to Jean Slater (DIS); a granddaughter, Abigail Justine, born Nov. 29 to Jean Slater (DIS); a granddaughter, Alise Danielle, born Jan. 4 to Elizabeth Darr (PFS-SS).
ACHIEVEMENTS
Congratulations to Sreenath Gupta (ES) who became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Kathie Cole, daughter of Roger Cole (ES), who qualified for the NCAA National Championships in diving.
WEDDINGS/ENGAGEMENTS
Congratulations to Julie Wulf-Knoerzer (MCS) and Kevin Knoerzer (XFD) on their September wedding.
WELCOME
OCF-BSS welcomes Dillon Cook. PFS-CU welcomes Joon Kim, Gordon Wantroba, and Donald Walker.
GET WELL
Get well to Ray Dyson (PFS-CU) and Kathy Ferry (PFS-CU).
TRANSFERS
Good luck to Jason Dunkin, Robert Gleason, Erison Hamilton, William Riley, Eric Wilkinson, and John Wiley who transferred from PFS-CU to PFS-WMO, and Tammy Wren, who transferred from PFS-CU to PFS-GR.
PROMOTIONS
Promotions reported to Ar'Gang this month include: Ella Lange (PFS-CU) and Laura Szot (PFS-CU) both promoted to foreman.
CONDOLENCES
Our condolences to Mary Walker (PFS-CU) on the death of her grandfather; Norzella Owens (PFS-CU) on the death of her brother; Mark Boyd (PFS-CU) on the death of his father; Bob Gebhardt (OCF-PRO) on the death of his father-in-law.
CONTRIBUTORS
Thanks to this issue's contributors: Judy Beumer (MCS), Karen Kroczek (PFS), Jo Ann Parnell (ES), Carolyn Peters (IPNS), Sally Peters (OCF-PRO), and Kathy Ruffatto (DIS).
A technology expo at Argonne-East Thursday, April 17, will showcase new products from many vendors.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., exhibitors in the Building 213 Cafeteria Lobby and Dining Rooms will display products in biometrics, LCD technology, authentication, wireless technology, encryption, firewalls, information protection, Public Key Infrastructure and security software. A complete list of exhibitors and a pre-registration form are available online; see "On the Web," below.
The expo is free and open to all interested employees. Complimentary refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Kevin Glatstein at (800) 878-2940, ext. 220, or kevin@fbcdb.com.
The expo is sponsored by the DOE Office of the Chief Information Officer.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rules go into effect on Monday, April 14. They are intended to ensure the appropriate protection of an individual's health information.
The laboratory's health plans are subject to the HIPAA Privacy Rules and are in full compliance with these rules. A Notice of Privacy Practices is being sent to everyone 18 and older covered by the laboratory's health plans. Employees and their adult dependents who do not receive the notice should contact Laboratory Privacy Officer John Hyzer (HR) at ext. 2-3503 or JHyzer@anl.gov.
Staff and non-staff retirement plan interest rates for the second quarter of 2003 are:
| Vendor | Rate | Contributions From | Earned through |
| TIAA Traditional | 5% | 04/01/03 – 06/30/03 | 02/29/04 |
| TIAA Supplemental | 4% | 04/01/03 – 06/30/03 | 02/29/04 |
|
Prudential Fixed Interest* |
6% | 07/01/02 – 06/30/03 |
06/30/03 |
| Prudential Guaranteed (Plans 4643 and 7680) |
3.25% | 04/01/03 – 06/30/03 | 12/31/04 |
| Lincoln National (Old Account)** | 3.50% | N/A | 06/30/03 |
| Lincoln National (No Load)** | 4.25% | N/A | 06/30/03 |
(* Only Available to Non-Staff participants)
(** No longer excepting contributions)
Argonne theoretical scientists will present short overviews of their work Monday, April 14, in the first of a series of talks intended to lead to greater interaction and communication among theorists at Argonne.
Presentations will begin at 1:30 p.m. in Argonne-East's Building 362, Room F108. They are intended to be accessible to a broad audience of Argonne theorists. Each presentation will be about a half-hour long, with 15 minutes set aside for questions and discussion.
1:30 - 2:15 p.m. -- "Quantum Phase
Transitions," by Michael Norman (MSD)
2:15 - 3 p.m. -- "Goldstone Boson's
Valence Quark Distribution," by Craig Roberts (PHY)
3:30 - 4:15 p.m. -- "Theoretical
Combustion Kinetics," by Lawrence Harding (CHM)
4:15 - 5:00 -- "Physics of Extra-Space
Time Dimensions," by Carlos Wagner (HEP)
5-6 p.m. -- Social hour, hosted by
Associate Laboratory Director Bob Rosner
For more information, contact Ed Berger (HEP) at ext. 2-6211 or berger@anl.gov.
George Cutwright from the Social Security Administration's Joliet office will visit Argonne-East Wednesday, April 16, from 8 a.m. to noon. Cutwright will be available to:
Enroll employees in Social Security.
Take applications for new Social
Security cards, including original cards for newborns, corrected cards due to marriage, or
replacement cards.
Help with earnings posting problems.
Answer general questions about the
Social Security program.
To schedule a meeting, call Fran Perri (HR) at ext. 2-2989.
Service Awards for April include:
35 Years
T. William Knoerzer (PBC), George L. Muszynski (ECT).
30 Years
Ronald C. Coleman (PFS), Lois M. Martin (HR).
25 Years
Wes P. Agresta (IPD), Frances C. Anderson (OCF), Sandra A. Dixon (ECT), Steven A. Downey (AOD), Edward K. Fujita (NE), Sandra L. Gotlund (HEP), Elizabeth L. Hartig (ES), Yung Y. Liu (ET), Mario G. Maenza (PFS), Judith A. Prehn (OCF), Shannon D. Savage (IPD), Kathleen A. Sitarz (DIS), Susan Barr Strasser (AOD), Eugene J. Wesolowski (CMT).
20 Years
Michael D. Corey (RPS), David E. Klingler (RPS).
15 Years
Stephen C. Anderson (PFS), Robert W. Benedict (ERA), James J. Cullen (IPD), Alan Demkovich (CMT), James J. Feigl, Jr. (MCS), Larry J. Hill (FAC), Gail Van Gorp (EQO), Ulrich Welp (MSD), Donna L. Williams (FAC).
10 Years
Michael Bracken (ASD), Don A. Cain (PFS), Henry M. Dowgwillo (PFS), Aaron Lopez (ASD), Daniel Nocher (XFD), Rogelio Ranay, Jr. (XFD), Gerald R. Salotti (OTD), Scott H. Scherbinske (FAC), Cynthia A. Smithberg (PFS), Bradford Stacy (AOD), Andre K. Williams (PFS).
5 Years
Igor Bodnar (NE), Paul V. Brod (IPNS), Daniel J. Burke (ASD), Carole A. Ealy (EA), John Hayse (EA), Jyotsana Lal (IPNS), Leonard P. Motz (DIS), Karl E. Schmidt (HR), Craig J. Stacey (MCS), Elaine M. Wall (HR).