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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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DOE OSTI2023

RANS Simulation of Variable Density Turbulent Round Jets with Coflow using xRAGE Hydrodynamic Code and BHR Turbulence Models

This work for the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) is a continuation of previous efforts to evaluate the BHR turbulence models for their ability to accurately simulate variable density turbulent round jets with coflow. As before, RANS simulations are carried out using the xRAGE hydrodynamic code. The following are some of the previous findings. Israel showed that i) the symmetry boundary conditions for the BHR models in axisymmetric simulations were in error, ii) three grids of different resolutions did not lead to converging solutions, and iii) BHR 3.1 simulation exhibited instabilities and did not reach a steady state. Saenz and Rauenzahn derived and implemented into xRAGE the correct BHR boundary conditions at the symmetry axis. Cline conducted sensitivity studies with various parameters including the BHR models (versions 2, 3.1 and 4), gravity, material pressure, specific heat, initial turbulent kinetic energy and initial turbulent length scale, and found that the largest factor impacting on simulation results was the BHR model version, followed by the initial turbulent length scale. In addition, freeze boundary conditions at the exit and the side wall of the computational domain were used to remove anomalous flow behavior. Cline adjusted the inlet jet velocity, initial turbulent kinetic energy and initial turbulent length scale to obtain the best reasonable match with the experimental data of Charonko and Prestridge. It was found that the BHR 2 and 3.1 models performed in a similar manner, but the BHR 2 model produced much lower levels of density-specific-volume covariance and turbulent kinetic energy. The main focus for the FY23 is to study the effects of computational parameters related to the boundary conditions, mesh, domain size and timestep size. The reasoning behind this is that, unless simulation results can be shown to be reasonably independent from the aforementioned computational parameters, it would be difficult to attribute any discrepancies between simulation and experimental results to turbulence models. This important aspect has largely been overlooked in the previous years, and therefore will be studied comprehensively here. Additionally, effects of varying the initial turbulent length scale will be examined because it was previously identified as a major factor affecting the flow fields.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Twisted bilayer graphene. IV. Exact insulator ground states and phase diagram

Here, we derive the exact insulator ground states of the projected Hamiltonian of magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) flat bands with Coulomb interactions in various limits, and study the perturbations away from these limits. We define the (first) chiral limit where the AA stacking hopping is zero, and a flat limit with exactly flat bands. In the chiral-flat limit, the TBG Hamiltonian has a U(4) × U(4) symmetry, and we find that the exact ground states at integer filling – 4 ≤ $\textit{ν}$ ≤ 4 relative to charge neutrality are Chern insulators of Chern numbers $ν_C$ = 4 – |$\textit{ν}$ |, 2 – |$\textit{ν}$ |, $\cdots$, |$\textit{ν}$ | – 4, all of which are degenerate. This confirms recent experiments where Chern insulators are found to be competitive low-energy states of TBG. When the chiral-flat limit is reduced to the nonchiral-flat limit which has a U(4) symmetry, we find $\textit{ν}$ = 0 , ± 2 has exact ground states of Chern number 0, while $\textit{ν}$ = ±1, ± 3 has perturbative ground states of Chern number $ν_C$ = ± 1, which are U(4) ferromagnetic. In the chiral-nonflat limit with a different U(4) symmetry, different Chern number states are degenerate up to second-order perturbations. In the realistic nonchiral-nonflat case, we find that the perturbative insulator states with Chern number $ν_C$ = 0 (0 < |$ν_C$| < 4 – |$\textit{ν}$ |) at integer fillings $\textit{ν}$ are fully (partially) intervalley coherent, while the insulator states with Chern number |$ν_C$| = 4 – |$\textit{ν}$ | are valley polarized. However, for 0 < |$ν_C$| ≤ 4 – |$\textit{ν}$ |, the fully intervalley coherent states are highly competitive (0.005 meV/electron higher). At nonzero magnetic field |$\textit{B}$ | > 0, a first-order phase transition for $\textit{ν}$ = ± 1, ± 2 from Chern number $ν_C$ = sgn ($\textit{νB}$)(2 – |$\textit{ν}$ |) to $ν_C$ = sgn ($\textit{νB}$)(4 – |$\textit{ν}$ |) is expected, which agrees with recent experimental observations. Lastly, the TBG Hamiltonian reduces into an extended Hubbard model in the stabilizer code limit.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

One-to-one aeroservoelastic validation of operational loads and performance of a 2.8 MW wind turbine model in OpenFAST

Abstract. This article presents a validation study of the popular aeroservoelastic code suite OpenFAST leveraging weeks of measurements obtained during normal operation of a 2.8 MW land-based wind turbine. Measured wind conditions were used to generate one-to-one turbulent flow fields (i.e., comparing simulation to measurement in 10 min increments, or bins) through unconstrained and constrained assimilation methods using the kinematic turbulence generators TurbSim and PyConTurb. A total of 253 bins of 10 min of normal turbine operation were selected for analysis, and a statistical comparison in terms of performance and loads is presented. We show that successful validation of the model was not strongly dependent on the type of inflow assimilation method used for mean quantities of interest, which had median modeling errors per wind-speed interval generally within 5 %–10 % of the measurement. The type of inflow assimilation method did have a larger effect on the fatigue predictions for blade-root flapwise and tower-base fore–aft quantities, which surprisingly saw larger errors from the assumed higher-fidelity assimilation methods. Avenues for further work are discussed and include possible improvements to the aerodynamic, structural, and controller modeling that may offer insight on the origin of the up to ∼ 40 % median overprediction of fatigue for these quantities.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Accelerating Hanford Site Cleanup through Operations Research Modeling - 20238

The Hanford Site cleanup effort will require the integration of dozens of unique facilities and processes, many of which will be first-of-a-kind in implementation and design. Each facility will be governed by its own set of operating logic, configured with a unique array of unit operations, and subject to a set of constraints that will affect its behavior. The collection of facilities have multiple points of interface, making the operations of any one facility potentially significant to the operations of other up- or downstream processes. It is therefore highly desirable to accurately predict these operations, as it allows for Site officials to identify and preempt bottlenecks and vulnerabilities before they unexpectedly inhibit the cleanup mission. With the quantity and complexity of the processes that will be on Site, building a pen-and-paper or even a spreadsheet-assisted model of the cleanup mission quickly becomes overwhelming in scope and inaccurate in execution. The Engineering organization for the Site's Tank Operations Contract (TOC) has therefore implemented the use of operations research (OR) modeling to simulate and predict future operations of Site facilities. These models are created using a discrete event simulation tool that allows for the development of detailed, versatile, and robust models. Not only can these models account for complex logical behaviors, but they can also simulate process details down to the level of vessel sizing, labor utilization, equipment reliability, and resource availability. To date, the TOC has developed OR models for several facilities on Site, including for single-shell tank (SST) farms, double-shell tank (DST) farms, the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF), and the waste transfer system. These models have focused on identifying bottlenecks and operational constraints, and have been used to quantify the effects of implementing process changes. This latter point is particularly valuable, as it allows for several alternatives to be studied in a virtual setting before committing resources to making a change in the field. The decision to develop OR models has gained tremendous support from the Site's stakeholders and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) management, and has prompted the use of the tool to support additional internal and external initiatives. Recently, an initiative was proposed to use the models to help identify and provide quantitative backing for risks and opportunities for the TOC. This application of OR could not only help inform how the TOC manages its risks (e.g. quantities and types of spare parts), but could also help drive process improvements whose benefits might otherwise be hard to quantify. The models have also been used to drive the TOC's cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) initiatives. These initiatives will not only improve the ability of the TOC to more rapidly respond to the needs of its customers, but it will also aid in the ability of the TOC to analyze and improve the processes it studies. Partnership with two external software development and consulting companies (Lanner and Ynformed) has furthered not only the application of AI and ML within the TOC, but has also spurred the development of new/improved software tools and platforms used by the companies. These partnerships have proven to be mutually beneficial and productive, and have set a precedent for the types of gains that can be made by exploring such options. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

Conceptual study on using Doppler backscattering to measure magnetic pitch angle in tokamak plasmas

We introduce a new approach to measure the magnetic pitch angle profile in tokamak plasmas with Doppler backscattering (DBS), a technique traditionally used for measuring flows and density fluctuations. The DBS signal is maximised when its probe beam's wavevector is perpendicular to the magnetic field at the cutoff location, independent of the density fluctuations [Hillesheim \emph{et al} 2022 \emph{Nucl. Fusion} \textbf{55} 073024]. Hence, if one could isolate this effect, DBS would then yield information about the magnetic pitch angle. By varying the toroidal launch angle, the DBS beam reaches cutoff with different angles with respect to the magnetic field, but with other properties remaining similar. Hence, the toroidal launch angle which gives maximum backscattered power is thus that which is matched to the pitch angle at the cutoff location, enabling inference of the magnetic pitch angle. We performed systematic scans of the DBS toroidal launch angle for repeated DIII-D tokamak discharges. Experimental DBS data from this scan were analysed and combined with Gaussian beam-tracing simulations using the Scotty code [Hall-Chen \emph{et al} 2022 \emph{Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion} \textbf{64} 095002]. The pitch-angle inferred from DBS is consistent with that from magnetics-only and motional-Stark-effect-constrained (MSE) equilibrium reconstruction in the edge. In the core, the pitch angles from DBS and magnetics-only reconstructions differ by one to two degrees, while simultaneous MSE measurements were not available. The uncertainty in these measurements was under a degree; we show that this uncertainty is primarily due to the error in toroidal steering, the number of toroidally separated measurements, and shot-to-shot repeatability. We find that the error of pitch-angle measurements can be reduced by optimising the poloidal launch angle and initial beam properties. Since DBS has high spatial and temporal resolutions, is non-perturbative, does not require neutral beams, and is likely robust to neutron damage of and debris on the first mirrors, using DBS to measure the pitch angle in future fusion energy systems is especially appealing.

beam tracing↗
DOE OSTI2025

Experiment-modeling studies comparing energy dissipation in the DIII-D SAS and SAS-VW divertors

Recent DIII-D experiments on Small Angle Slot (SAS) divertors have confirmed that a combination of divertor closure and target shaping can enhance cooling across the divertor target and increase energy dissipation, but with significant dependence on B T (toroidal magnetic field) direction. In these novel divertors, the roles of closure, target shaping, drifts, and scale lengths are all interconnected in optimizing dissipation, with the separatrix electron density n eSEP being the key parameter associated with the level of dissipation/detachment. After modifying the original flat-targeted graphite SAS to include a V shape with a tungsten coating on the outer side of the divertor (SAS-VW), matched series of discharges were run to compare to detailed SOLPS-ITER modeling. Experimentally, when run as designed with the outer strike point at the slot vertex, SAS-VW requires nearly identical n eSEP for detachment as the original SAS, with little difference in dissipation for the new geometry. This is in contrast to (1) earlier modeling predictions that a small change of the SAS geometry to a V shape should enhance dissipation at the same n eSEP for magnetic configurations having better H-mode access (ion B × ∇B drift directed into the divertor), and (2) despite the achievement of significantly higher (2-7x) neutral pressures and compression in the SAS-VW slot. Comparisons of experimental density scans to the most recent SOLPS-ITER modeling with ExB drifts show reasonable agreement for dissipation/detachment onset when using separatrix density as the independent parameter. In order to help understand the discrepancy in modeled vs actual performance for the new configuration, additional measurements varying gas injection location and impurity injection were undertaken. In-slot D 2 gas fueling is more effective (5–22 %) in promoting detachment, in accord with modeling. In-slot impurity injection (N 2 or Ne) can yield 30 % lower core Z eff and 15 % less confinement degradation after detachment compared to main chamber puffing, as well as relatively lower tungsten leakage from the divertor. Modeling can also reproduce the improved detachment seen as the strike point moves inboard of the slot vertex. While we can explain the effects of the most important parameters causing energy dissipation in these slot divertors, it remains that many aspects of their behavior cannot be accurately modeled using state-of-art codes such as SOLPS-ITER. This is of concern for future model-driven designs utilizing similar V-shaped geometries.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Economic analysis of CCUS: Accelerated development for CO 2 EOR and storage in residual oil zones under the context of 45Q tax credit

Residual oil zones (ROZ) undergoing CO 2 Enhanced Oil Recovery (CO 2 -EOR) may benefit from specific strategies to maximize their value. We evaluated several strategies for producing from a Permian Basin, West Texas, USA field’s ROZ. This ROZ lies below the main pay zone (MPZ) of the field. Such brownfield ROZs occur in the Permian Basin and elsewhere. Since brownfield ROZs are hydraulically connected to the MPZs, development sequences and schemes influence oil production, CO 2 storage, and net present value (NPV). We conducted economic assessments of various CO 2 injection/production schemes in the stacked ROZ-MPZ reservoir based on flow simulations of a high-resolution geocellular model built from wireline logs and core data and calibrated through production history matching. Flow simulations of water alternating gas (WAG) injection, such as switching injection from the MPZ to the ROZ and commingled production, were studied. Simulation results showed that simultaneous CO 2 injection into the MPZ and ROZ lead to the largest oil production and, generally, the largest NPV. If instead, CO 2 was simultaneously injected into the MPZ and ROZ, then into the ROZ alone, this maximized CO 2 storage. CO 2 storage can be used as a tax credit under the Internal Revenue Code, Section 45Q. Storage performance depends on the development approach and WAG ratio. Developing the ROZ increased storage compared to only producing from the MPZ. The WAG ratio to maximize oil production did not always yield the largest NPV. These findings are potentially applied to other Brownfield ROZs, which are common below San Andres reservoirs in the Permian Basin and other basins. ROZ development can increase oilfields’ NPV and carbon storage potential. Our study can serve as an analog for similar reservoirs. Here this work provides valuable insights into the further optimization of brownfield ROZ development and information for operators to plan to develop stacked ROZ-MPZ reservoirs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2023

Evaluating Portable Parallelization Strategies for Heterogeneous Architectures in High Energy Physics

High-energy physics (HEP) experiments have developed millions of lines of code over decades that are optimized to run on traditional x86 CPU systems. However, we are seeing a rapidly increasing fraction of floating point computing power in leadership-class computing facilities and traditional data centers coming from new accelerator architectures, such as GPUs. HEP experiments are now faced with the untenable prospect of rewriting millions of lines of x86 CPU code, for the increasingly dominant architectures found in these computational accelerators. This task is made more challenging by the architecture-specific languages and APIs promoted by manufacturers such as NVIDIA, Intel and AMD. Producing multiple, architecture-specific implementations is not a viable scenario, given the available person power and code maintenance issues. The Portable Parallelization Strategies team of the HEP Center for Computational Excellence is investigating the use of Kokkos, SYCL, OpenMP, std::execution::parallel and alpaka as potential portability solutions that promise to execute on multiple architectures from the same source code, using representative use cases from major HEP experiments, including the DUNE experiment of the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility, and the ATLAS and CMS experiments of the Large Hadron Collider. This cross-cutting evaluation of portability solutions using real applications will help inform and guide the HEP community when choosing their software and hardware suites for the next generation of experimental frameworks. We present the outcomes of our studies, including performance metrics, porting challenges, API evaluations, and build system integration.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

On the uncertainties in helium generation predictions for fission and fusion alloys

With ongoing advances in fusion and advanced fission reactors, quantifying irradiation effects in materials is critical. Transmutation-induced helium in cladding and structural materials can drive swelling and embrittlement, thereby reducing these components’ lifespans. Yet most studies ignore the considerable uncertainties in predicting helium generation rates. In this work, we created a code wrapper, F-SCATTER, that automatically performs simulations in FISPACT-II. We used this tool to investigate potential variance in helium generation rate, or He/dpa, calculations based on deviations in alloy composition, irradiating neutron flux spectrum, computational methodology, and nuclear data sources. We used 12 wt% Cr HT9 steel as the reference case and observed a 6.5%–98.3% He/dpa spread based on compositional variation within a single chemical specification, a 1.8%–11.5% He/dpa variation upon the incorporation of a 15% artificial uncertainty in flux at each energy, and a He/dpa difference as high as 231% when using ENDF/B-VIII.0 versus TENDL-2021 data libraries. Similar results were found for other prominent iron-based alloys, including Grade 91, castable nano-structured alloy, and 316H—where additional variations exist based on reactor type (e.g. thermal, fast, or fusion) and alloying elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and nickel. Based on the simulated results, we conclude that a significant part of the heat-to-heat variability in swelling responses of Fe-based alloys can be driven by impurity content in alloy compositions, and, therefore, chemical control should be a key element in supply chain design for advanced nuclear energy systems. Furthermore, we provide critical recommendations on best practices for evaluating and reporting helium production and lattice damage rates when computing predictions with multiphysics programs such as FISPACT-II.

FISPACT-II↗
DOE OSTI2026

Platform for 100 s Mbar equation of state measurements on the National Ignition Facility

Equation of state (EOS) measurements in the 100 s Mbar range are needed to underwrite models employed in the simulation of high energy density plasmas. To this end, a platform has been developed for fielding on the National Ignition Facility, capable of producing high-quality impedance match EOS data, wherein a planar, high-pressure, steady shock is driven into a sample package, and sample and reference standard shock velocities are measured. This platform, dubbed planar high pressure, or PHP, was fielded with an initial proof-of-concept shot in January 2023. The first PHP shot, aiming to study gold, demonstrated a pressure close to 400 Mbar, two orders of magnitude higher than previously reported gold EOS data.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Flexible, integrated modeling of tokamak stability, transport, equilibrium, and pedestal physics

The STEP (Stability, Transport, Equilibrium, and Pedestal) integrated-modeling tool has been developed in OMFIT to predict stable, tokamak equilibria self-consistently with core-transport and pedestal calculations. STEP couples theory-based codes to integrate a variety of physics, including magnetohydrodynamic stability, transport, equilibrium, pedestal formation, and current-drive, heating, and fueling. The input/output of each code is interfaced with a centralized ITER-Integrated Modelling & Analysis Suite data structure, allowing codes to be run in any order and enabling open-loop, feedback, and optimization workflows. This paradigm simplifies the integration of new codes, making STEP highly extensible. STEP has been verified against a published benchmark of six different integrated models. Core-pedestal calculations with STEP have been successfully validated against individual DIII-D H-mode discharges and across more than 500 discharges of the H98,y2 database, with a mean error in confinement time from experiment less than 19%. STEP has also reproduced results in less conventional DIII-D scenarios, including negative-central-shear and negative-triangularity plasmas. Predictive STEP modeling has been used to assess performance in several tokamak reactors. Simulations of a high-field, large-aspect-ratio reactor show significantly lower fusion power than predicted by a zero-dimensional study, demonstrating the limitations of scaling-law extrapolations. STEP predictions have found promising scenarios for an EXhaust and Confinement Integration Tokamak Experiment, including a high-pressure, 80%-bootstrap-fraction plasma. ITER modeling with STEP has shown that pellet fueling enhances fusion gain in both the baseline and advanced-inductive scenarios. Finally, STEP predictions for the SPARC baseline scenario are in good agreement with published results from the physics basis.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Effects of equilibrium pressure on plasma response to RMPs in a spherical tokamak

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the equilibrium pressure on the plasma response to resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) in the spherical tokamak (ST) MAST-U, employing both single-fluid and MHD-kinetic hybrid models (implemented via the MARS-F/K codes). As a key finding, the study identifies two different pressure-driven eigenmodes, exhibiting Sturmian property, that affect the Troyon no-wall limits for the onset of the n = 1 and n = 2 ( n is the toroidal mode number) ideal external kink instabilities as well as the corresponding plasma response to the applied RMP. With increasing equilibrium pressure, the plasma response to RMPs is significantly enhanced in the ST plasma, particularly in the high-pressure regime where kinetic effects strongly stabilize the external kink instability. The Troyon no-wall limit divides the plasma response into two regions: well below the limit, the response amplitudes and trends (versus pressure) are similar between the fluid and kinetic models; as the equilibrium pressure approaches the Troyon limit, the kinetic model predicts significant amplification of the RMP field, up to 30 times for cases considered. A relatively weak dependence of the optimal coil phasing on the equilibrium pressure is computed in this ST plasma, similar to the trend obtained for the conventional aspect ratio devices. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating kinetic effects in accurate prediction of the plasma response to RMPs in high-pressure ST tokamak plasmas and provide a theoretical basis for optimizing RMP-based control of the edge-localized modes in future ST devices.

RMP↗
DOE OSTI2021

Transport of Protostellar Cosmic Rays in Turbulent Dense Cores

We report recent studies have suggested that low-energy cosmic rays (CRs) may be accelerated inside molecular clouds by the shocks associated with star formation. We use a Monte Carlo transport code to model the propagation of CRs accelerated by protostellar accretion shocks through protostellar cores. We calculate the CR attenuation and energy losses and compute the resulting flux and ionization rate as a function of both radial distance from the protostar and angular position. We show that protostellar cores have nonuniform CR fluxes that produce a broad range of CR ionization rates, with the maximum value being up to two orders of magnitude higher than the radial average at a given distance. In particular, the CR flux is focused in the direction of the outflow cavity, creating a "flashlight" effect and allowing CRs to leak out of the core. The radially averaged ionization rates are less than the measured value for the Milky Way of ζ ≈ 10 -16 s -1 ; however, within r ≈ 0.03 pc from the protostar, the maximum ionization rates exceed this value. We show that variation in the protostellar parameters, particularly in the accretion rate, may produce ionization rates that are a couple of orders of magnitude higher or lower than our fiducial values. Finally, we use a statistical method to model unresolved subgrid magnetic turbulence in the core. We show that turbulence modifies the CR spectrum and increases the uniformity of the CR distribution but does not significantly affect the resulting ionization rates.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Machine Learning to Identify Geologic Factors Associated with Production in Geothermal Fields: A Case-Study Using 3D Geologic Data from Brady Geothermal Field and NMFk

In this paper, we present an analysis using unsupervised machine learning (ML) to identify the key geologic factors that contribute to the geothermal production in Brady geothermal field. Brady is a hydrothermal system in northwestern Nevada that supports both electricity production and direct use of hydrothermal fluids. Transmissive fuid-fow pathways are relatively rare in the subsurface, but are critical components of hydrothermal systems like Brady and many other types of fuid-fow systems in fractured rock. Here, we analyze geologic data with ML methods to unravel the local geologic controls on these pathways. The ML method, non-negative matrix factorization with k-means clustering (NMFk), is applied to a library of 14 3D geologic characteristics hypothesized to control hydrothermal circulation in the Brady geothermal field. Our results indicate that macro-scale faults and a local step-over in the fault system preferentially occur along production wells when compared to injection wells and non-productive wells. We infer that these are the key geologic characteristics that control the through-going hydrothermal transmission pathways at Brady. Our results demonstrate: (1) the specific geologic controls on the Brady hydrothermal system and (2) the efficacy of pairing ML techniques with 3D geologic characterization to enhance the understanding of subsurface processes. This submission includes the published journal article detailing this work, the published 3D geologic map of the Brady Geothermal Area used as a basis to develop structural and geological variables that are hypothesized to control or effect permeability or connectivity, 3D well data, along which geologic data were sampled for PCA analyses, and associated metadata file. This work was done using the GeoThermalCloud framework, which is part of SmartTensors (both are linked below).

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Radiative Heat Transport and Optical Characterization of High Temperature Molten Salts

The goal of this project was to advance the field of molten fluoride radiative heat transfer (RHT), through optical property measurements, heat transfer loop construction and operation, and computational fluid dynamics simulations. The following outcomes have been accomplished. A comprehensive review has been conducted to compile all available RHT-relevant optical absorption data for molten fluorides. The various measurement methods have also been compiled and critiqued. Thermal emission measurement methods have been refined and documented. A unique thermal emissivity measurement facility has been constructed and used to measure the emissivity of flowing FLiBe-exposed SS316 samples. A slight increase has been observed in the emissivity compared to unexposed SS316. A dual reflectance-emission setup was partially demonstrated for the purpose of molten fluoride absorption measurement. Preliminary infrared edge data for FLiNaK was obtained. A visible near-infrared (NIR) measurement setup has been constructed and will be used to measure absorption of corrosion products in FLiBe. A new multi-band thermal radiation method using blackbody-weighted spectral bands for the absorption-coefficient was deployed to investigate the thermal performance of the UW Natural Circulation FLiBe Loop under various power levels and operating conditions. The results showed an increasing and decreasing trend in the overall heat transfer with optical thickness with a maximum at optical thickness τ D ≈Ο(1). A forced convection FLiBe loop was constructed for the purpose of studying corrosion and thermal hydraulic phenomena. A vertical cantilever pump is used to achieve up to 5 gpm and 5 m/s flow velocity in hot and cold test sections. A methodology has been established for modeling radiative heat transfer (RHT) in molten salt coolants for the purpose of quantifying the contribution of thermal radiation in conditions relevant to FHR or MSR systems. The comparison between the results obtained for forced and mixed convection showed that in the studied ranges of optical thickness, the maximum effect of RHT on overall heat transfer was 60% improvement observed at z/D = 250 for forced convection; whereas for mixed convection, that value was higher at 170% observed at z/D = 30. The highest effect of RHT on the overall energy distribution was observed at τ D ≈3.4. Negligible effect (<20%) was observed above τ D =18 and below τ D ≈0.002. A CFD code-to-code comparison was conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics at UW-Madison and STAR-CCM at MIT, for a forced and mixed convection laminar flow for a grey medium in a vertical heated using both COMSOL Multiphysics at UW-Madison and STAR-CCM at MIT. The relative error was the largest at τ D =40 for the radiative heat flux, bulk temperature, and Nusselt number. On the other hand, the relative error was the least at τ D =0.002 for the conductive heat flux, bulk temperature, and Nusselt number.

Anderson, Mark↗
DOE OSTI2025

Diagnostics: Chapter 8 of the special issue: on the path to tokamak burning plasma operation

This chapter presents the activity conducted by the ITPA topical group (TG) on Diagnostics over about the last 15 years. Following a general introduction of the ITER Diagnostics led by their measurement roles, the document is organized in several subchapters detailing the design support, research and development activity conducted by each of the specialist working groups (WGs) of the TG. Please note that the magnetic diagnostics were supported at the TG without a specific WG. Their status is included in the general introduction. In the following some highlights of the subchapter’s contents are provided. Recent advances in ITER first wall (FW) diagnostics for the measurements of plasma-metallic wall interaction in support of the ITER research plan are reported. An InfraRed imaging Video Bolometer for ITER has been developed and tested on several tokamaks to measure the radiated power loss. A laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique which utilizes a pulsed laser beam to ablate locally by forming a crater, will measure local tritium inventory in the FW material. Real-time Residual Gas Analyzers will measure the neutral gas composition in a divertor port and an equatorial port during plasma operation. Due to the full metallic FW environment, the plasma-wall interaction in ITER will face several challenges such as the compromised radiated power and divertor heat flux measurements by reflection. Ray tracing and analysis codes have been developed to eliminate and correct the effects of reflection in the measurements. The characteristics of the reflecting surfaces depending on the roughness and angle of the incidence have been measured by dedicated experiments, and the results were applied to the reflection elimination. For the measurement of the metallic impurity radiation induced by eroded metallic atoms, a vacuum ultraviolet spectrometer has been developed and tested. An extensive thermonuclear diagnostic suite will be required to support the operation of ITER and the planned experimental program for future burning plasma experiments. Due to the harsh environmental conditions, the implementation of diagnostic systems in ITER is a major challenge. These conditions include high levels of neutron and gamma fluxes, neutron heating, particle bombardment. Therefore, the selection and design of diagnostic systems must take into account a number of phenomena previously unseen in diagnostic design. For this reason, the measurement of neutrons and confined or lost fast ions, with particular emphasis on alpha particles, is critical to ITER. The diagnostics associated with these measurements will be important for future plasma-burning experiments at ITER. The high neutron emission and very large plasma size in ITER make neutron diagnostics the main diagnostic method used to measure plasma parameters such as fusion power, fusion power density, ion temperature, energy of fast ions and their spatial distributions in the plasma core. Active spectroscopy techniques are methods where a neutral particle beam is injected into the plasma and information on plasma parameters is extracted from the measurement of line emission resulting from the beam-plasma interaction, either by plasma ions or by beam atoms. Spatial localization is achieved by crossing the beamline and multiple observation lines. The ITER plasma will be a high temperature, moderately dense, fully ionized collisional plasma. The plasma facing surfaces are principally metallic being fashioned from beryllium or tungsten but many other elements, arising from either structural or from operational needs, may enter this plasma. The energy range of the emitted photons range from meV (infra-red) to multi keV (x-rays) and originate from all areas of the plasma volume. The primary role of passive emission diagnostics is to identify what is in the plasma from spectral signatures. Extracting quantitative information from these measurements such as impurity content, ion temperature, rotation, degree of detachment and radiated power depends on calibrated instruments, a physics model of the atomic and molecular processes and plasma transport and an analysis workflow that takes into account environmental effects such as reflections. The particular needs for ITER have prompted a multi-machine, many-year effort to address all these aspects and this chapter reviews the work on diagnostic design, experiments and new analysis techniques. An overview of the laser diagnostics to be implemented on ITER is also provided in this paper. This includes descriptions of the Thomson scattering in the core, edge and divertor regions, polarimetry and interferometry diagnostics used for measuring plasma density and also measurements of helium density in the divertor using Laser Induced Flourescence. Techniques which can allow improvements on current measurements are also addressed in particular expanding poloidal polarimetry measurements to measure field fluctuations and proposed use of dispersion interferometery which has a number of advantages over existing methods. This paper identifies particular areas where further research and testing on existing tokamaks is useful even at this advanced stage to inform the design of diagnostics for ITER. Outstanding areas of concern for the implementation of laser diagnostics, in particular with a view to reliable operation are identified. An overview of the latest developments of microwave diagnostic systems and techniques is given. The primary focus is the contributions for ITER—the next step burning plasma experiment—which is supplemented by describing recent progress of techniques applicable for fusion experiments beyond ITER. The contributions are intentionally kept concise, and are being supplemented by a rich list of references for further studies. Radiation induced effects are receiving continuous and well-deserved attention of the ITER diagnostic community and they are in many cases one of the primary design drivers of the ITER diagnostic systems. The paper summarizes recent progress in this area focusing primarily on the ITER diagnostics but in some cases provides also outlook for the possible solutions for even more demanding radiation environment of fusion reactors beyond ITER. Despite advancements in the area of modeling and simulation of various radiation induced effects, experimental testing in a nuclear environment as close as possible to the target one is still seen as unavoidable for proper qualification of particular diagnostic functional elements. Recent advancement within three diagnostic areas: optical diagnostics, magnetics and bolometers is covered. Encouraging results on qualification of silica glass vacuum window assemblies are presented. In the area of magnetic sensors, progress of irradiation tests performed on ITER in-vessel LTCC inductive sensors is presented with outlook for novel technological approaches to inductive sensors utilizing thick printing and photolithography technologies being highlighted. Summary of advancements in the area of steady state magnetic field sensors based on Hall effect is given. New results of neutron irradiation test of the ITER borosilicate glass inserts for vacuum electrical feedthroughs are summarized finding negligible swelling at target level of neutron fluence. Off-line irradiation tests of fiber optic current sensors for plasma current measurement demonstrated that both for gamma doses up to 5 MGy and a total neutron fluence up to 10 15 cm −2 , radiation induced changes are still compatible with required measurement accuracy on ITER. The ITER bolometers are given as an example how considering radiation effects may influence the diagnostic design. Finally, outlook for future main R&D directions is outlined. All optical and laser-based diagnostics in ITER will be using mirrors to guide plasma radiation toward detectors, cameras and sensors. In the hostile plasma, radiation and particle environment the optical characteristics of diagnostic mirrors will degrade directly affecting the entire performance of involved diagnostic systems. An assessment of factors affecting mirror performance is provided. Among the prime adverse factors are deposition of plasma impurities, sputtering of mirror surface and steam ingress in the vicinity of mirrors. Within the International Tokamak Physics Activity with active support by ITER central team and domestic agencies, the structured research and development (R&D) program on mitigation of risks for diagnostic mirrors is underway. Within this program the mirror material development, the passive mitigation of mirror degradation by using diagnostic ducts and shutters along with an active mirror recovery program comprising the in-situ mirror cleaning and calibration is underway. Recent developments in diagnostic mirror R&D are described in this Chapter along with an example of their implementation of R&D solutions in ITER Infrared Thermography diagnostic. An assessment of still open engineering and physics questions, considerations on mirror risks during an early phase of ITER operation are given along with an overview of diagnostic mirror evolution in the late ITER operation stage toward the demonstration fusion power plant. Several crucial areas of diagnostic R&D outlined in ITER Research Plan are addressed. The basic control groups in a fusion reactor can be broken-down in five categories: (1) plasma position, magnetic configuration, and plasma current control, (2) profile control and confinement optimization, (3) MHD control and suppression, (4) edge dissipation control, radiation and plasma exhaust control and (5) break-down optimization. These categories are coupled via the physics (a control action in one domain will affect the other domains) and via shared actuators (e.g. ECRH for impurity accumulation avoidance, current density distribution control and MHD suppression). Consequently, a supervisory control system should determine the priority of the various control tasks, their couplings, and the interfaces with the safety and interlock system. For the systematic development of the various controllers taking the complexity of the plasma and the control system into account, a model-based approach is required. A short historical overview is given of the developments in systems and control theory and control engineering with special emphasis on those developments that are most relevant for Nuclear Fusion research and operation. An overview is given of the state of the field of fusion plasma control for the control categories. It will be shown how synthetic diagnostics are being developed in ITER and how they are used in diagnostic design and design validation and how they can be in model-based controller synthesis using relatively simple models. In modern control methods, multiple diagnostics are used to constrain relatively simple models. The constrained models provide an estimate for the state. This opens the route to state controllers, such as model predictive control. A major challenge in nuclear fusion research is the coherent combination of data from heterogeneous diagnostics and modeling codes for machine control and safety as well as physics studies. Measured data from different diagnostics often provide information about the same subset of physical parameters. Additionally, information provided by some diagnostics might be needed for the analysis of other diagnostics. A joint analysis of complementary and redundant data allows, e.g. to improve the reliability of parameter estimation, to increase the spatial and temporal resolution of profiles, to obtain synergistic effects, to consider diagnostics interdependencies and to find and resolve data inconsistencies. Physics-based modeling and parameter relationships provide additional information improving the treatment of ill-posed inversion problems. A coherent combination of all kind of available information within a probabilistic framework allows for improved data analysis results. The concept of integrated data analysis (IDA) in the framework of Bayesian probability theory is outlined and contrasted with conventional data analysis. Components of the probabilistic approach are summarized and specific ingredients beneficial for data analysis at fusion devices are discussed.

ITER↗
DOE OSTI2026

Measuring the Stress Factors for Photovoltaic (PV) Backsheet Degradation

Back sheet failure has resulted in power loss and large-scale recall of photovoltaic modules, resulting in billions of dollars in lost revenue. The light exposure on the backside of a photovoltaic module comes primarily from reflected light which alters the distribution of natural sunlight. Because of this, modelling the backside exposure and duplicating the exposure is much more difficult than modeling the frontside exposure. This project aims to study how various back sheets and junction box materials degrade under different conditions and to develop Python code to help model and predict degradation. The stress factors for back-sheet degradation must be quantified to extrapolate accelerated stress tests to the field. Test samples were placed in the A3, A4, and A5 conditions, as defined in IEC 62788-7-2, to assess the temperature and humidity dependence of ultraviolet (UV) induced degradation. We are utilizing a custom chamber with exposure from 0.5 UV-suns to 5 UV-suns to understand the dependence of degradation on light intensity. A group of samples put in the A3 condition had glass filters with 50% UV cut-offs of 320 nm, 335 nm, and 360 nm to assess the wavelength dependence of UV degradation. All this data is necessary to assess the impact of non-standard UV light exposure. The material evaluation tests include gloss measurements, attenuated total internal reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), UV-visible reflectance/transmittance utilizing a Cary Ci7000 spectrophotometer, and a nano-indenter for surface hardness and modulus measurements. Alongside the experimental work, there is a computational effort using raytracing and Python open-source tools in PVDeg , PVLib, and Bifacial_Radiance. This code will create specific exposure scenarios and enable the evaluation of chamber degradation relative to field degradation. Equation 1 is a strawman equation used to model degradation on the backside of a PV module. We will create simplified code, based on the results of ray-tracing calculations, which uses a view factor approach to provide fast calculations for the most common exposure scenarios.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Continued Verification of MOOSE Structural Mechanics Tools for Modeling Core Bowing Phenomena in Fast Reactors

Under the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Program, an integrated multiphysics approach is being developed to model the core bowing phenomena important to liquid metal-cooled fast reactors. Core bowing is an important passive safety mechanism whereby increased power (which leads to temperature and flux gradients) influences the core to bow into less reactive configurations when the restraint system is properly designed. The phenomenon includes a complex interplay of radiation transport, duct temperature calculations involving fluid flow and heat transfer, and thermo-mechanical responses to the induced temperature and flux gradients. Structural material properties are also important to determining inelastic response to longer term flux gradients which cause irradiation creep and swelling. While core bowing provides a strong negative reactivity feedback when the restraint system is designed properly, it also results in additional forces between assemblies which increase the loads required to extricate them during refueling or control rod movement. Therefore, the restraint system must be designed with these tradeoffs in mind. The first stage of the work, which commenced in FY21 and continues through FY22, assesses thermo-mechanical modeling tools for producing core bowing predictions consistent with conventional tools. The Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) Tensor Mechanics and Contact Modules are employed. This status report describes work on additional thermo-mechanical benchmark verification problems with increased complexity from the examples demonstrated in FY21. Several benchmark verification examples were selected from the IAEA verification and validation report. These examples involve clusters of ducts representative of a sector of a hexagonal reactor core which bow into each other and cause contact and load pad elevations, as well as single ducts subjected to irradiation fields undergoing swelling and subsequent bowing. The MOOSE-based results were compared to both IAEA benchmark participants’ results, analytic equations as available, and NUBOW-3D, a beam model code developed by Argonne National Laboratory. In every case, the MOOSE results agreed with other simulations results, providing additional verification basis of the tools for this particular physics application.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗