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DOE OSTI2015

2015 Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) Title ll Annual Report, L-Bar, New Mexico Disposal Site

The L-Bar, New Mexico, Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) Title II Disposal Site was inspected on August 18, 2015. The tailings impoundment was in excellent condition. Erosion and vegetation measurements to monitor the condition of the impoundment cover indicated that no erosion is occurring, and perennial vegetation foliar cover at the measurement plots increased substantially compared to previous years due to above-average precipitation for the year. A short segment of the perimeter fence near the site entrance was realigned in spring 2015 because a gully was undermining the fence corner. Loose fence strands at another location were repaired during the inspection, and a section of fence needs to be realigned to avoid areas affected by deep gullies and sediment deposition. Inspectors identified no other maintenance needs or cause for a follow-up inspection. Groundwater monitoring is required every 3 years. The next monitoring event will be in 2016.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

Lakeview, Oregon, Disposal Site

9.1 Compliance Summary The Lakeview, Oregon, Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) Title I Disposal Site was inspected September 16 and 17, 2015. Other than some ongoing concern with erosion-control rock riprap degradation, the disposal cell was in good condition. Some minor fence repairs and vegetation removal, and minor erosion repair work along the west site fence is planned. Inspectors identified no other maintenance needs or cause for a follow-up or contingency inspection. Disposal cell riprap is evaluated annually to ensure continued long-term protection of the cell from erosion during a severe precipitation event. Degradation of the rock riprap was first observed at the site in the mid-1990s. Rock gradation monitoring of the riprap on the west side slope has been performed as part of the annual inspection since 1997 to determine the mean diameter (D 50 ) value. As prescribed by the monitoring procedure, the rock monitoring is routinely conducted at random locations. However, at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) request, the 2015 rock monitoring approach deviated from the normal procedure by using a pre-established monitoring grid in a subset area of the west side slope. This changed the monitoring approach from random sampling to biased sampling. The D 50 value measured during the 2015 gradation monitoring is 2.39 inches, which falls below the original D 50 design size range of 2.7–3.9 inches for the Type B size side slope riprap. At NRC’s request, rock durability monitoring was added to the gradation monitoring in 2009 to monitor durability by rock type. Results of the 2015 durability monitoring showed that74 percent of the total rock sampled is durability class code A rock with an assigned durability class of “highly durable” or durability class code B “durable” rock, and that over 90 percent of the 3-inch or larger rock is durability class code A or B. The rock durability classifications are further explained in Section 9.4.2.2.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2017

Comparison Of 252 Cf Time Correlated Induced Fisssion With AmLi Induced Fission On Fresh MTR Research Reactor Fuel

The effective application of international safeguards to research reactors requires verification of spent fuel as well as fresh fuel. To accomplish this goal various nondestructive and destructive assay techniques have been developed in the US and around the world. The Advanced Experimental Fuel Counter (AEFC) is a nondestructive assay (NDA) system developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) combining both neutron and gamma measurement capabilities. Since spent fuel assemblies are stored in water, the system was designed to be watertight to facilitate underwater measurements by inspectors. The AEFC is comprised of six 3 He detectors as well as a shielded and collimated ion chamber. The 3 He detectors are used for active and passive neutron coincidence counting while the ion chamber is used for gross gamma counting. Active coincidence measurement data is used to measure residual fissile mass, whereas the passive coincidence measurement data along with passive gamma measurement can provide information about burnup, cooling time, and initial enrichment. In the past, most of the active interrogation systems along with the AEFC used an AmLi neutron interrogation source. Owing to the difficulty in obtaining an AmLi source, a 252 Cf spontaneous fission (SF) source was used during a 2014 field trail in Uzbekistan as an alternative. In this study, experiments were performed to calibrate the AEFC instrument and compare use of the 252 Cf spontaneous fission source and the AmLi (α,n) neutron emission source. The 252 Cf source spontaneously emits bursts of time-correlated prompt fission neutrons that thermalize in the water and induce fission in the fuel assembly. The induced fission (IF) neutrons are also time correlated resulting in more correlated neutron detections inside the 3 He detector, which helps reduce the statistical errors in doubles when using the 252 Cf interrogation source instead of the AmLi source. In this work, two MTR fuel assemblies varying both in size and number of fuel plates were measured using 252 Cf and AmLi active interrogation sources. This paper analyzes time correlated induced fission (TCIF) from fresh MTR fuel assemblies due to 252 Cf and AmLi active interrogation sources.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Pressure Safety Orientation Live #769

Pressure Safety Orientation (course #769) introduces workers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to the Laboratory Pressure Safety Program and to pressure-related hazards. This course also affords a hands-on exercise involving the assembly of a simple pressure system. This course is required for all LANL personnel who work on or near pressure systems and are exposed to pressure-related hazards. These personnel include pressure-system engineers, designers, fabricators, installers, operators, inspectors, maintainers, and others who work with pressurized fluids and may be exposed to pressure-related hazards.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Non-RF Chain of Custody Item Monitor (CoCIM) User Manual.

This User Manual contains a description of the wired and infrared (IR) variants of the Chain of Custody Item Monitor (CoCIM), the Coordinator for reading stored messages, and the inspector Message Viewer user interface (UI) software, as well as instructions for use. This manual does not include descriptions or use instructions for the radio frequency (RF) variant of the CoCIM. The intended audience is planners and participants in treaty verification exercises where chain of custody (CoC) elements are required.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2017

Solar Energy Technology Office Portfolio Review: Promotion of PV Soft Cost Reductions in the Southeastern US

From 2016-2021, the installed solar capacity in South Carolina will mushroom from less than 20 megawatts to more than 300 megawatts. Concurrently, the number of customer-sited, load-centered solar generation is expected to grow from less than 500 statewide to as many as 10,000 by 2021. This growth is anticipated to be the direct result of a landmark state policy initiative, Act 236, passed by the South Carolina General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor in June of 2014. Local policy makers in South Carolina are ill-equipped to handle the onslaught of solar permitting and zoning requests expected over the next five years. Similarly, the state’s building inspectors, first responders, and tax assessors know little about photovoltaic (PV) technology and best practices. Finally, South Carolina’s workforce and workforce trainers are underprepared to benefit from the tremendous opportunity created by the passage of Act 236. Each of these deficits in knowledge of and preparedness for solar PV translates into higher “soft costs” of installed solar PV in South Carolina. Currently, we estimate that the installed costs of residential rooftop solar are as much as 25 percent higher than the national average. The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), together with almost a dozen electricity stakeholders in the Southeast, proposes to create a replicable model for solar PV soft cost reduction in South Carolina through human capacity-building at the local level and direct efforts to harmonize policy at the inter-county or regional level. The primary goal of this effort is to close the gap between South Carolina installed costs of residential rooftop solar and national averages. The secondary goal is to develop a portable and replicable model that can be applied to other jurisdictions in the Southeastern US.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2016

Far-field Wireless Energy Harvesting for Increased Safeguards Equipment Battery Life.

Modern unattended safeguards equipment (e.g. seals) incorporates many low-power electronic circuits, which are typically powered by expensive and toxic lithium thionyl chloride (LiSOCL2) batteries. The limited life of these batteries necessitates their periodic replacement. This replacement must be performed before total battery discharge to avoid potential loss of continuity of knowledge. Thus, the effective battery capacity becomes significantly less than the actual usable capacity. Additionally, such maintenance is a radiological hazard to personnel, as well as a monetary burden to a safeguards inspectorate. Energy harvesting, a commercially available technology, could extend the operational life of batterypowered equipment to achieve significant efficiencies for safeguards deployments. Energy harvesting is the scavenging and storage of ambient energy sources, such as solar, thermal, and kinetic for use in lowpower electronic applications. While the amount of scavenged energy per unit time may be small, it most often comes from a source that will not be depleted throughout the deployment of the harvesting device. The best-known energy harvesters are solar panels and wind turbines. Recently, far-field wireless energy harvesting has become a commercially available option. Far-field wireless energy harvesting provides consistent, predictable, and un-tethered power over distances up to 50 feet. This process converts radio frequency (RF) energy, both intentionally emitted and ambient, into usable direct current (DC) power. Incorporating far-field wireless energy harvesting into safeguards equipment can significantly extend the equipment’s battery life and perhaps make it indefinite. Furthermore, additional functionality can be added to safeguards equipment without lowering its operational life expectancy. This paper explores the benefits and drawbacks of integrating far-field wireless energy harvesting into a chosen safeguards seal: the Remotely Monitored Sealing Array (RMSA). Specifically, it examines the performance of a commercially available RF harvesting system from Powercast, as well as commercial and custom antenna solutions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2018

Plutonium particle analysis by LG-SIMS and LA-MC-ICP-MS for environmental safeguards

During nuclear facility inspections, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors collect dust particles using cotton swipes. Analysis of these swipes is an extremely powerful tool with which to confirm treaty compliance or identify treaty violations. Through particle analysis it is possible to identify individual particles representative of nuclear activities. Uranium particle analysis is a reasonably mature technique used by IAEA and its Network of Analytical Laboratories for treaty verification. However, the IAEA has recently identified the maturation of plutonium and mixed uranium-plutonium particle analysis techniques as a top priority. We propose to address this area directly by developing the new methods necessary to analyze samples containing plutonium and mixed uranium-plutonium particles. The end products of this study will be: (A) more accurate and ultra-precise isotopic characterization of plutonium -bearing particles from environmental swipe samples, and (B) development and validation of laser ablation particle analysis techniques as robust and accurate analysis methodologies for future safeguards missions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2018

South Carolina Solar Development - Tracking the Effects of Act 236 (2014-2017)

Since 2014, the installed solar capacity in South Carolina (SC) has mushroomed from 5.5 megawatts to more than 354 megawatts today. Concurrently, the number of customer-sited, load-centered solar generation was expected to grow from less than 600 statewide to as many over 10,000 today. This growth was the direct result of a landmark state policy initiative, Act 236, passed by the SC General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor in June of 2014. Local policy makers in SC were ill-equipped to handle the onslaught of solar permitting and zoning requests expected by 2021. Similarly, the state’s building inspectors, first responders, and tax assessors know little about photovoltaic (PV) technology and best practices. Finally, SC’s workforce and workforce trainers were underprepared to benefit from the tremendous opportunity created by the passage of Act 236. Each of these deficits in knowledge of and preparedness for solar PV translated into higher “soft costs” of installed solar PV in SC. The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), together with almost a dozen electricity stakeholders in the Southeast, has studied the ability of Act 236 to serve as replicable model for solar PV cost reduction. In 2015, this study began with a focus on the effects of Act 236 to offer a unique perspective and understanding of the actual impact of rapidly integrating solar energy into the electric grid. This study would analyze the impact of starting at a solar PV penetration of 0.1% and increasing to over 2%, while expanding access, developing regional specific training and educational materials, and developing datasets to support expanding solar markets. Through targeted tracking and analysis, the team developed a baseline of the current market, identified the major obstacles in soft cost reduction, and cooperatively developed stakeholder-centric strategies. This work has enabled us to directly track and report on the growth and effects of recently enacted solar legislation on the industry. This report marks the final in a series of reports examining the effects of Act 236 on the solar economy in SC since 2014.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2018

Energy Harvesting RMSA Field Test

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is investigating photovoltaic (PV) cell configurations, integrating them with the battery-operated Remotely Monitored Sealing Array (RMSA), and testing and evaluating performance for enhanced battery life under various environmental conditions at the K-Area Material Storage (KAMS) facility at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Unattended safeguards equipment (e.g. seals) incorporates many low-power electronic circuits, which are often powered by expensive and environmentally toxic lithium batteries. These batteries must periodically be replaced, adding a radiological hazard for both safeguards inspectors and operators. An extended field test of these prototype PV energy harvesting (EH) RMSAs at an operational nuclear facility will give additional data and allow for an analysis of this technology in a variety of realistic conditions, which will be documented in a final report. RMSAs are used for this testing, but SNL envisions energy harvesting technology may be applicable to other safeguards equipment.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2018

The MidAmerica Regional Microgrid Education and Training (MARMET) Consortium

The primary goal of this project was to integrate cutting-edge research and advanced instructional methods to create a flexible, evolving approach to microgrid and distributed energy resources training for all levels of student. This goal entailed the rapid development of modular material to capture and reflect the newest trends in electric power microgrid engineering and to make it available in traditional and non-traditional settings. It was our goal to develop course material that can be readily integrated into either existing courses or organized into new courses. The target audiences include technicians, contractors and consultants, inspectors, policy makers, supervisors, and engineers and undergraduate and graduate students. The main project objectives were to: 1) Perform a gap analysis to identify the research/educational/training needs and define specific implementation plans for these activities in distributed technology and Smart Grid power engineering by working with Department of Energy, the National Network Administrator (NNA) and other Distributed Technology Training Consortia (DTTC). 2) Develop learning content related to, and driven by, microgrid research, consisting of one or more multimedia-based modules. Over the life of the project MARMET provided training to 11,012 students and developed 154,432 contact hours of material (see the IREC NNA, DE-EE0006342, final project report for added details on MARMET evaluation and assessment metrics, as well as an overview of the entire GEARED network. 3) Provide a variety of delivery mechanisms and venues for face-to-face and on-line instruction in power system engineering and related smart grid operations, including university-based courses, short courses, and workshops. 4) Assemble and engage highly-qualified advisory and steering committees of experts from utilities, universities, national laboratories, and product suppliers for this DTTC, to guide and advise the activities of the DTTC, and to assist in creating student internships, coops, research projects and academic competitions for GEARED students within the DTTC and nationally. 5) Convene regular meetings of Consortia partners to disseminate research results among the participants (universities, utilities, and industry). 6) Develop recruitment mechanisms to publicize GEARED student opportunities and highlight the educational benefits of GEARED participation to assure long-term sustainability of student recruitment and retention. 7) Participate in GEARED National Network activities to identify and adopt best practices across all GEARED consortia. 8) Organize, host and manage at least one annual Student-Centered Research Conference on behalf of the GEARED Network during the period of performance; participate in each annual national Student-Centered Research Conference.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2018

Integration of Solar Training into Allied Professional Development Platforms - Final Technical Report

The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) designed the “Integration of Solar Training into Allied Professional Development Platforms” project to surmount barriers to the expansion of solar technology caused by gaps in knowledge impacting on-the-job performance of allied professionals. At project start, questionnaires deployed nationally indicated that only 9% of firefighters felt certain they could shut down a PV system to the extent possible, and only a third of code officials thought they could even discern the difference between a PV and solar thermal system. Therefore, the project objective was to measurably and significantly increase the number of code officials and fire service professionals with solar knowledge directly applicable to their job function. IREC identified specific gaps in current knowledge, and integrated research-proven adult learning principles and technology solutions to enable a cost-effect but impactful reach. The project design ensured that solar training is a continuing component of the targeted sector professional development toolkit. To this end, the key partners recruited and cultivated were existing, trusted training partners in the targeted sectors: International Code Council Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (ICC-SRCC), International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI), International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM). During the project, IREC held 79 courses in 25 states that trained 4,156 people, offered a PV in the 2017 National Electric Code webinar attended by 787 people, developed on-line training for code officials with 2,298 on-line learners, and developed an on-line training for firefighters with 4,930 on-line learners. In addition, the project participated in 28 conferences and reached over 537,000 professionals with solar information.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2019

Safeguards Technology Development Program Annual Report of FY 2018

In this project, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) are jointly developing deep machine learning algorithms to improve the review process of surveillance data by identifying objects of interest in image-review software. The technique being developed in this project can be used to reduce the burden on International Atomic energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards inspectors during surveillance review.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2019

Research Performance Progress Report - DOE Solar Program, Soft Costs, National Lab Projects: Promotion of PV Soft Cost Reductions in the Southeastern US

Beginning in 2014, the installed solar capacity in South Carolina (SC) grew from less than 20 megawatts to more than 300 megawatts today. Concurrently, the number of customer-sited, load-centered solar generation is expected to grow from less than 500 statewide to as many as 10,000 by 2021. This growth is the direct result of a landmark state policy initiative, Act 236, passed by the South Carolina General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor in June of 2014. Today, local policy makers in South Carolina are ill-equipped to handle the onslaught of solar permitting and zoning requests expected to come with such quick growth of an emerging market. Similarly, the state’s building inspectors, first responders, and tax assessors know little about photovoltaic (PV) technology and best practices. Finally, South Carolina’s workforce and workforce trainers continue to be underprepared to benefit from the tremendous opportunity created by the passage of Act 236. Each of these deficits in knowledge of and preparedness for solar PV translates into higher “soft costs” of installed solar PV in South Carolina.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2018

Energy Harvesting RMSA Field Test

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2019

Correlated Neutron Interrogation Source in the Active Well [Slides]

The Active Well Coincidence Counter (AWCC) is a technology developed by Los Alamos National Laboratories for the use of non-destructive assay of Uranium materials for international nuclear inspectorates such as the IAEA.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2019

Federal Emergency Management Agency Mobile Housing Unit Running Gear Testing (Final Report)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stages manufactured housing units (MHUs) at key locations to be used during disasters when other housing accommodations cannot be arranged for individuals or families. Due to the unpredictability of natural disasters and the limitations of the manufactured housing industry to produce large numbers of MHUs in very short periods of time, it is necessary for FEMA to store a large number of units for many months or years. With these long storage periods come degradation issues with frames, tires, bearing, and braking systems. These types of issues are also of interest to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) because regulated carriers normally transport these units and 49 CFR 393.75 Tires specifies tire loading restrictions for manufactured homes. To compare the running gear (tires, brakes, drums, bearings, axles, springs, and spring mounting hardware) currently specified in the 2014 Rugged Based Performance Requirements (RBPR) and the newly recommended running gear specified in the upcoming revision to the RBPR, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) outlined a Longevity Test Plan, which focused on the assessment of component longevity (failure rates by component type). The Test Plan also studied the forces imparted to the MHU from the running gear from interaction with the roadway for both the running gear in the 2014 RBPR and the running gear specified in the upcoming RBPR revision. Since the assessment of component longevity and failures are also issues of concern for FMCSA, both agencies collaborated to support the research presented in this report. The tests and data collection were conducted at the Navistar Proving Grounds (NPG) in New Carlisle (near South Bend), Indiana, during the May-November 2018 period. Four alternatives for the suspension system of a typical three-bedroom MHU were considered in this test. Alternative 0 was the MHU that was selected from the FEMA staging area in Selma, Alabama. Empirical data had shown that, on average, this alternative experiences one tire failure every 150 miles (or 0.0067 tire failures per mile traveled). Before testing, Alternative 0 was equipped with similar running gear hardware, although in new condition and installed following the manufacturer’s specifications. This became the Baseline Unit, or Alternative 1. Another unit, also selected from the FEMA staging area in Selma, Alabama, was equipped with better axles (i.e., axles that were rated for 7,000lbs as opposed to 6,000lbs for the Baseline Unit) and better tires. This became the Upgrade Unit, or Alternative 2. At the end of the Longevity Test, the Upgrade Unit was mounted with radial tires. This became Alternative 3.Alternative 1 (Baseline Unit) had, on average, one tire failure every 251 miles (or 0.0040 tire failures per mile traveled). So, by simply following the correct manufacturer’s specifications for the assembly of the transportation system, a reduction of 41% in the per mile tire failure was achieved. In the same test, Alternative 2 (Upgrade Unit) showed, on average, one tire failure every 728 miles traveled (or 0.0014 tire failure s per mile traveled). When the Upgrade Unit was mounted with radial tires in the last part of the test, no tire failures were observed for the 2,400 miles tested. That is, in the case of the radial tires (Alternative 3) the tire failure was less than one per 2,400 miles traveled (or less than 0.0004 tire failures per mile traveled). The data collected for the Longevity Test showed that the maximum accelerations were registered in all cases at the center of the MHU in the vertical direction. The overall maximum was registered by the Baseline Unit, Alternative 1. If that value is normalized to 100%, then the Upgrade Unit (Alternative 2) showed, on average, 81% at the same location, and Alternative 3 (radial-tire test) 59%. That is, the upgraded transportation system showed a reduction of 19% and 41% in the vertical accelerations transmitted to MHU at its center when regular and radial tires, respectively, were used. As part of the Test Protocol, NPG conducted a visual inspection of the MHUs and transportation system at the end of each test day. ORNL reviewed all the inspection reports in an attempt to determine if there was any difference in the damage that the Baseline and Upgrade MHUs showed during the test. The Upgrade Unit always showed lower accelerations transmitted to the MHU than the Baseline Unit. In most cases, these differences were statistically significant. The FEMA inspection report, conducted by a FEMA certified inspector at the end of the tests, included a shorter list of damaged items for the Baseline Unit than for the Upgrade Unit, although similar type of damages was described for both units. This may be an indication that, although lower than those of the Baseline Unit, the accelerations transmitted by the Upgrade Unit were above the threshold at which MHU elements start to fail.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2019

Science & Technology Review July/August 2019

Veterinarians and agricultural inspectors who seek to detect and contain the spread of animal diseases can now turn to a newer, faster, and less expensive biological detection system. The device is the commercialized successor to Lawrence Livermore’s earlier detection platform—the Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array (LLMDA), which was licensed in 2016 to Thermo Fisher Scientific and went on sale later that year as Applied Biosystems™ AMA.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗