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At least 235 records · Page 13

Flow-Assisted Corrosion in Nuclear Power Plants

The flow-assisted corrosion, or flow-accelerated corrosion (FAC) is one of the major piping degradation mechanisms in aging nuclear power plants and it has been identified as a research area under the Light Water Reactor Sustainability program at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). While every nuclear power plant in US has a dedicated flow-assisted corrosion management program, there are several areas where the management of flow assisted corrosion can be improved. One of such areas is on-line corrosion monitoring which can significantly reduce maintenance inspections and contribute to improvement of economic efficiency of nuclear power plants. The proliferation of low cost sensor modalities such as strain fiber optics sensors and noninvasive concentration sensors, allowed development of on-line nonintrusive monitoring techniques, which can complement or replace existing evaluation techniques. The report presents a literature review of the current state-of-the-art in flow-assisted corrosion monitoring, and a research framework to study on-line monitoring techniques. The report addresses the problem on on-line monitoring of flow-assisted corrosion in nuclear power plants.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Silicon Electrolyte Interface Stabilization Deep Dive (FY 2016 Annual Progress Report)

This report summarizes the activities that Sandia National Laboratories undertook in support of the Si anode Fundamentals program managed by the Vehicle Technology Office of the Department of Energy. The program is led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Sandia is one of four laboratories (including Oak Ridge National Laboratories and Berkeley National Laboratories) included in the program. The initial set of activities included establishing the baseline protocols for cell assembly and testing, and executing a number of round robin style tests to compare data collected under nominally identical conditions at each of the participating laboratories to ensure that similar results were obtained and that no extraneous secondary factors were affecting the results. Because the nature of the interface between electrode and electrolyte was in question, as well as how the interface evolved over time and electrochemical cycling, an effort to build “model” interfaces based upon previously observed lithium silicate structures within the native film.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Installation of Ramps and Utility Cabinet at TA-18-1 Slotin Building (Historic Building Report No. 395)

The information below is presented in response to requests for additional information that resulted from a phone conference on November 12, 2020 between Harvey Kaplan of the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office, DOE NNSA Los Alamos Field Office Manhattan Project National Historical Park Representative, Vicki Loucks, LANL Program Manager for Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Cheryl Abeyta, and LANL Historic Buildings Program Staff, Jeremy Brunette and J.T. Stark. The DOE NNSA Field Office (Field Office) initiated the call to propose additional work be performed to a previously reviewed project, “Restoration of TA-18-0001 (Slotin Building)” (LA-UR-19-26609) (HPD Log # 111110). Of the six actions discussed on the call, which included (1) exterior paint color, (2) entrance ramps, (3) non-period metal siding removal, (4) interior floor finish, (5) reopening secondary entrance door, and (6) addition of utility cabinet with period doors, additional information for two of the actions was requested for further review. The two actions, the construction of entrance ramps and installation of a utility cabinet are addressed in detail.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Risk Management Framework Process Map

The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the Risk Management Framework (RMF) codified in National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-37r1 for the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). This document, while accurate, is not an authoritative source on the management of federal information systems. However, the concepts and process discussed herein are representative of the data points used to compare the RMF with NIST’s Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity , otherwise known as the cybersecurity framework .

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Understand the Costs of an Energy or Water Outage with the Customer Damage Function Calculator

The Customer Damage Function (CDF) Calculator is a free, publicly available web tool that helps users estimate the costs incurred at their site due to an electric grid or water service outage. Developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) with support from the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), the tool is designed to help federal facility owners, building energy managers, and resilience planners understand and quantify the value of resilience to justify investments that would prevent or lessen the impact of a disruption.

CDF Calculator↗

Deactivation of the K-27 building at the east Tennessee Technology Park - 15554

In 1942, nearly 24,280 hectares (60,000 acres) of east Tennessee landscape became part of the most significant defense strategy in the history of the United States - the Manhattan Project. Three methods of uranium separation were pursued at the site in the effort to end World War II. What became the K-25 site, now known as the East Tennessee Technology Park, focused on the gaseous diffusion method of uranium enrichment. This paper focuses on the deactivation of the second of five gaseous diffusion plants built on the site. The four-level, rectangular-shaped K-27 came online in 1945 and was tied to the site's original gaseous diffusion plant, K-25. K-27 extended K-25's enriching stages to increase production. The plant supported weapons production and other security strategies until 1964. K-27 spans 35,582 square meters (383,000 square feet) and contains approximately 92,903 square meters (one million square feet) of floor space. During deactivation, workers will use an assembly line process to tackle the 540 process stages housed in 90 cells. While often the less publicized, less visible aspect of building decontamination and decommissioning, deactivation takes more than three times longer than demolition. Crews work in high-risk, high-hazard environments - exposed to extreme temperatures, radiological and chemical contaminants, and deteriorating infrastructure. Therefore, worker safety becomes the most rigorous task performed. K-27 is the fifth and final gaseous diffusion building in the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Environmental Management program to be demolished. (authors)

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Perspectives on Previous DOE Transportation Acquisition Efforts - 19049

The Department of Energy (DOE) is planning for future large-scale transport of commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) to eventual disposal and/or storage facilities. Various options for procuring transportation services are being evaluated. To inform this work, a review of past comments received on DOE transportation acquisition activities in the early 1990's through 2016 was conducted. Through the course of data collection, staff analyzed comments submitted from ten DOE initiatives from DoE's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) and DoE's Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE). This paper summarizes and outlines key themes arising from these comments. Past issues identified by a wide variety of commenters (nuclear industry and cask vendors, nuclear utilities and purchasers, states, Tribes, local governments, rail carriers, nongovernmental organizations, trade organizations, engineering firms, and members of the public) were examined. These issues concerned DoE's activities to make maximum use of the private sector to transport and store SNF and HLW. The key themes analyzed include: Uniqueness of the Shipping Campaign, Views on Privatization, Industry Risk and Privatization, Unclear Roles and Responsibilities, and Responsibilities Recommended for DOE to Maintain. This paper concludes by discussing lessons that can be learned from analyzing these public comments and what that may mean moving forward in the U.S. radioactive waste management program. (authors)

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BuildingSync® [SWR-18-28]

BuildingSync® is a standardized language for commercial building energy audit data that software developers can use to exchange data between audit tools. Taking the form of an XML schema, BuildingSync can be required by building owners and audit program managers to allow data analysis and aggregation across multiple buildings in order to evaluate program performance and analyze trends. BuildingSync was developed using the standard energy data terminology defined in the Building Energy Data Exchange Specification (BEDES). BuildingSync is one of the first implementations of BEDES Version 1.0, and it was developed in close collaboration with the BEDES working groups. BuildingSync standardizes the format of the energy audit data itself. It is not intended to standardize the calculations performed on these data by engineers, analysts, software packages, or other audit tools. For more, see: https://buildingsync.net/

Long, Nicholas↗

Spectroscopic Characterization of Tc(I) Tricarbonyl Species Relevant to the Hanford Tank Waste - 17379

Technetium-99 (Tc) generated from the fission of {sup 235}U and {sup 239}Pu in high yields is one of the most difficult contaminants to be addressed at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site. Among radioactive contaminants, Tc presents a unique challenge in that it has a long half-life (T{sub 1/2} = 2.11x10{sup 5} y), exhibits diverse chemical properties and typically highly mobile in the environment leading to several uncertainties regarding treatment and disposition options. The complex behavior of Tc under storage, treatment, and immobilization conditions significantly affects its management options. The overall objective of the Technetium Management program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is to provide the DOE Office of Environmental Management with practical solutions to Tc needs encountered in the processing of Hanford tank waste and vadose zone remediation; and technical activities are being performed in the areas of Tc characterization, treatment, and disposition. One specific task is focused on elucidation of the identity and properties of non-pertechnetate species in the liquid Hanford tank waste. Previous analysis of the tank waste samples provided strong evidence that non-pertechnetate species can be comprised of Tc(CO)3+ complexes containing Tc in oxidation state +1. This paper describes our current results on the development of spectroscopic library of Tc(I) tricarbonyl species for their characterization and identification in the Hanford tank wastes. (authors)

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Receiver willingness to participate in off-hour service programs

Service trips, a frequently overlooked segment of urban traffic, represent a disproportionately large share of the negative impacts associated with commercial activity. The reason is that although service trips are less frequent than freight trips, they often take longer and thus occupy a significant share of commercial parking. Demand management programs seeking to move service trips off-hours can potentially reduce congestion and emissions but they have been understudied. Here, this paper describes research conducted to investigate receivers’ willingness to participate in off-hour programs for planned service activity. The research reported in this paper analyzes results from a survey of 189 business establishments in New York City and the Capital Region in New York State using descriptive analyses of the data, and by estimating a discrete choice model to gain insight into how business characteristics influence willingness to participate in off-hour services. To assess the impacts of a hypothetical off-hour services program, the authors applied the discrete choice model, together with service trip attraction models, to quantify the hours of daytime parking that could be eliminated by the proposed program in certain ZIP Codes in New York City and the Albany area. The research conducted led to the identification of numerous policy implications that will help policymakers understand and maximize the potential benefits of implementing off-hour service programs.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Can a radiological event impact a criticality safety program: Lessons learned at WIPP - 14350

Any accident at a nuclear facility impacts all departments involved in the operation of the facility. The radiological release that occurred on February 14, 2014 has halted all waste disposal operations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and has resulted in detailed reviews of all safety management programs. This paper describes the initial reactions to the event, criticality issues with recovery operations, corrective actions for the criticality safety program from independent reviews, and the importance of configuration management to criticality safety. The nature, location, and timing of the event resulted in significant delays in determining the cause of the event. During this time multiple theories on the initiator of the event were postulated including and inadvertent criticality event. However, the timing of the event, average fissile gram equivalent (FGE) loading of waste containers compared to analyzed FGE loads, and isotopic analysis of fixed air samples taken during the event proved it was not an inadvertent criticality event. Recovery activities such as replacing contaminated high efficiency particulate (HEPA), filters and disposing of site generated waste have also been reviewed to prevent criticality safety issues. Post event corrective actions in all departments have impacted how future operations at WIPP will be conducted, including corrective actions for the criticality safety program. The event has also proven the importance of configuration management and the effect a change can have on a process. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

MARSAME Release Report for TA-03 Building 16

Environmental Protection and Compliance, Environmental Stewardship (EPC-ES) has determined that materials associated with technical area 3, Buildings 16 and 18 (collectively known as TA-3-16) (Figure 1) do not meet the criteria for unrestricted release to the public under Department of Energy (DOE) Order 458.1, Radiation Protection for the Public and the Environment (DOE 2020) and are to be treated as Low Level Waste (LLW). These conclusions are based on the known history of the building combined with radiation survey data collected in 2020 and 2021, and findings are consistent with DOE Order 458.1 and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Functional Series Document EPC-ES-FSD-004, Environmental Radiation Protection (LANL 2020a). Sampling and data analysis, as described in this report, were sufficient to meet measurement quality objectives under the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Assessment of Materials and Equipment (MARSAME) manual (MARSAME 2000) and LANL procedures (LANL 2020b). Final approvals for waste disposition will come from LANL’s Waste Management Program.

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Hazard and Operability Study for the Ammonia Fuel Systems at the National Transportation Research Center

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL’s) Buildings and Transportation Science Division (BTSD) plans to operate research engines fueled by ammonia in two engine test cells at the National Transportation Research Center (NTRC). A scientific need has recently emerged to evaluate the suitability of liquid anhydrous ammonia as a low-lifecycle-carbon fuel source for difficult-to-electrify transportation sectors, including the marine sector. Therefore, BTSD plans to install an ammonia storage and delivery system to 2360 HVC engine research labs L125 (Cell 3) and L111 (Cell 7) capable of delivering 35 and 75 lb/h, respectively. These laboratories are specifically designed to allow for engine and fuels research and development, and they have existing safety systems for mitigating risks associated with toxics and flammables. Anhydrous ammonia is toxic and flammable, and the system will use relatively large quantities compared with standard gas bottles. Ammonia is one of the most widely produced chemicals in the world, and the hazards associated with toxicity and flammability are well understood. Ammonia storage for use in engine research at NTRC is anticipated to take the form of an ammonia tank with capacity of 1,000 water gallons; this quantity will remain below the threshold quantity of 10,000 lb (~2,000 gal) used both by the US Environmental Protection Agency for reporting under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act and for Risk Management Program requirements, and also by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration for Process Safety Management requirements. ORNL’s Environmental Protection Services Division was also consulted to verify that the quantities of ammonia anticipated to be used would be in compliance with environmental regulations. The Environmental Protection Services Division staff confirmed that the anticipated quantities fall below ORNL’s permit thresholds. However, because of the hazards associated with anhydrous ammonia, the quantities to be used, and the limited experience with similar quantities of ammonia at ORNL, BTSD decided to perform a hazard and operability (HazOp) study on the ammonia storage and delivery system.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Verified! How Performance-Based Procurement Can Boost New Construction Program Savings and Empower Building Owners

Most utility new construction programs depend on modeled projections and deemed savings based on individual technologies. The industry has established ways to evaluate these programs based on the promise - not the actual performance - of these buildings post- occupancy. Deeper savings from a more integrated design with continuous performance monitoring are left on the table, locking out the higher performance for the lifetime of the building. This paper will demonstrate how performance-based procurement can empower utility incentive offerings to drive deep energy savings and reduce administrative costs. The key is to incentivize a change in the building owner's procurement process and reward actual building energy performance rather than incentivizing specific measures. The paper looks at strategies to transition new construction programs from technology-based verification to actual measurement of performance outcomes. Accelerate Performance, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded initiative, changes the building procurement approach, which spurs innovation and motivates the design and contracting industry to achieve deep energy savings in new construction - in the case of DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory Research Support Facility (NREL) in Golden, CO, 50% without increasing initial costs. Utility programs in three states, Illinois, Minnesota, and Connecticut, are actively piloting the approach with leading-edge owners. The paper will share savings results and lessons learned from the three different utility pilot programs. The paper provides practical guidance for utility program managers about how to apply the Accelerate Performance approach to supplement their current new construction program offerings.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Amendment to Programmatic Agreement among the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Field Office, the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office and the Advisory Council on History Preservation Concerning Management of the Historic Properties of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico (AGREEMENT)

The Field Office has a cultural resources program manager. The LANL Management and Operating Contractor has a staff of cultural resource specialists who meet the qualifications set forth in the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Professional Qualifications (36 CFR Part 61), or work under the supervision of individuals who meet these qualifications. Any future Management and Operating Contractor will have a staff of Secretary of the Interior-qualified cultural resource specialists.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

FUSION ENERGY SCIENCES WORKSHOP ON PLASMA MATERIALS INTERACTIONS: Report on Science Challenges and Research Opportunities in Plasma Materials Interactions

The realization of controlled thermonuclear fusion as an energy source would transform society, providing a nearly limitless energy source with renewable fuel. Under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy, the Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program management recently launched a series of technical workshops to “seek community engagement and input for future program planning activities” in the targeted areas of (1) Integrated Simulation for Magnetic Fusion Energy Sciences, (2) Control of Transients, (3) Plasma Science Frontiers, and (4) Plasma-Materials Interactions aka Plasma-Materials Interface (PMI). Over the past decade, a number of strategic planning activities1-6 have highlighted PMI and plasma facing components as a major knowledge gap, which should be a priority for fusion research towards ITER and future demonstration fusion energy systems. There is a strong international consensus that new PMI solutions are required in order for fusion to advance beyond ITER. The goal of the 2015 PMI community workshop was to review recent innovations and improvements in understanding the challenging PMI issues, identify high-priority scientific challenges in PMI, and to discuss potential options to address those challenges. The community response to the PMI research assessment was enthusiastic, with over 80 participants involved in the open workshop held at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory on May 4-7, 2015. The workshop provided a useful forum for the scientific community to review progress in scientific understanding achieved during the past decade, and to openly discuss high-priority unresolved research questions. One of the key outcomes of the workshop was a focused set of community-initiated Priority Research Directions (PRDs) for PMI. Five PRDs were identified, labeled A-E, which represent community consensus on the most urgent near-term PMI scientific issues. For each PRD, an assessment was made of the scientific challenges, as well as a set of actions to address those challenges. No prioritization was attempted amongst these five PRDs. We note that ITER, an international collaborative project to substantially extend fusion science and technology, is implicitly a driver and beneficiary of the research described in these PRDs; specific ITER issues are discussed in the background and PRD chapters. For succinctness, we describe these PRDs directly below; a brief introduction to magnetic fusion and the workshop process/timeline is given in Chapter I, and panelists are listed in the Appendix.

Maingi, Rajesh↗

Cameco Corporation's Approach to Legacy and Ongoing Waste Management Within the Fuel Services Division - 19124

Since 2011, a Fuel Services Division (FSD) employee has been dedicated to oversee divisional waste management with the goal of accelerating the recycle/disposal of accumulated legacy radioactive wastes stored at its Ontario operations in Blind River and Port Hope. The Blind River Refinery (BRR) and Port Hope Conversion Facility (PHCF) were previously owned by the federal Crown Corporation, Eldorado Nuclear, becoming part of Cameco in 1988 and Cameco Fuel Manufacturing (CFM), previously known as Zircatec Precision Industries, becoming part of Cameco in 2006. Accumulated legacy radioactive waste is stored at each of the facilities. This radioactive waste has accumulated from operations beginning in the 1930's in Port Hope and the 1980's in Blind River. Due to minimal commercially available outlets for the disposal and/or treatment of these wastes, the waste was managed onsite by storage in underutilized space in buildings, trailers and/or in the secured yard. This relatively low-cost practice meant that over decades, the inventory increased at an unsustainable rate until available space became a limiting factor. During this time, the labelling, inventory records, characterization details and other history of many of the waste materials was not maintained adequately. Due to the volume of waste that had accumulated, campaigns to address these deficiencies in information were not considered feasible, sustaining the issue of accumulation of low-level radioactive waste. Since 2011, FSD has completed annual campaigns to address the accumulated legacy waste, which has included processing of material for decontamination to meet the unrestricted release criteria under the Canadian Nuclear Substance and Radiation Devices Regulations (NSRDR), disposal of marginally contaminated wastes (<500 ppm uranium) at a permitted landfill in the United States, processing of contaminated materials to reduce the volume of low-level radioactive waste and disposal at a designated facility in Port Hope. In addition FSD has undertaken significant changes to radioactive waste management practices at each of the facilities. Multiple characterization techniques, including visual observation, review of process and other historical records, laboratory analysis and radiation scanning have been utilized in campaign planning to identify the scope and appropriate waste management technique(s) to reduce the inventory of stored material. This divisional waste management program has resulted in a significant change to how radioactive waste is generated, inventoried, characterized and managed within FSD and has increased the visibility within the leadership team of the opportunities and challenges of waste management, such as alignment with decommissioning planning, project planning and budgeting. The heightened awareness has led to better financial and physical resource planning to execute waste projects with a current projected elimination of the legacy waste within FSD by 2025. (authors)

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