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At least 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of Time Dependent Reactor and Sensor Physics on Core Power Synthesis

Online synthesis of the power distribution is critical in the operation and control of nuclear power reactors to ensure that the core is operating within safety margins, and to provide essential knowledge associated with the burnup of the fuel. In light water reactors (LWRs), power synthesis is achieved by using some a priori knowledge of the state of the reactor core and updating based on the signals coming from in-core sensors—namely, self-powered neutron detectors (SPNDs). This report aims to study the effects of fuel burnup and sensor degradation on the ability to accurately synthesize the power distribution in a LWR. Several modeling tools were used to simulate power synthesis based on the responses of SPNDs, with emitters made out of Rh or V. A representative pressurized water reactor low-enriched uranium (LEU) core was modeled using the Polaris/Purdue Advanced Reactor Core Simulator (PARCS) approach. The Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport 6 (MCNP6) code was used, as well, to calculate response functions between different segments of fuel to individual SPNDs; this is a crucial parameter for power synthesis. The Oak Ridge Isotope GENeration (ORIGEN) package in the Standardized Computer Analyses for Licensing Evaluation (SCALE) code was used to model the time-dependent isotopic transmutation in the SPND emitters. All these data were fed into a custom code that enacted the point-based iterative (PBI) method to simulate power synthesis. Developmental work was also performed on high-fidelity SPND models in the GEometry ANd Tracking 4 (Geant4) code, which enables higher-accuracy modeling of the current responses from SPNDs. In this work, five sets of time-dependent power synthesis test cases were conducted. In these test cases, systematic changes in the input conditions enabled an analysis of the effect of (1) slightly inaccurate a priori power distribution assumptions with respect to fuel burnup, (2) highly inaccurate a priori assumptions with respect to fuel burnup (such that burnup is not included in the a priori assumed distribution), and (3) differences between Rh and V SPNDs in terms of downstream consequences of the transmutation in the emitters. The authors discovered that one may permissibly have slightly inaccurate a priori assumptions of the fuel burnup (such that the level of burnup may be slightly under- or over-approximated by the accumulated burnup in approximately 9.3 full power days), but to not account for burnup at all in the a priori assumption leads to severe levels of error, approaching 25% at maximum. The authors also discovered that V SPNDs are extraordinarily robust in the low-enriched uranium fuel cycle considered in this modeling work, whereas Rh SPNDs undergo significant transmutation that can result in large errors in the synthesized power distribution.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Impact of Time-Dependent Reactor and Sensor Physics on Core Power Synthesis (Rev.1)

Online synthesis of power distribution is critical in the operation and control of nuclear power reactors to ensure that the core is operating within safety margins and to provide essential knowledge associated with the burnup of the fuel. In light-water reactors, power synthesis is achieved by using some a priori knowledge of the state of the reactor core and updating based on the signals coming from in-core sensors—namely, self-powered neutron detectors (SPNDs). This report examines the effects of fuel burnup and sensor degradation on the ability to accurately synthesize the power distribution in a pressurized water reactor (PWR), considering the typical low-enriched uranium (LEU, 3%-5% enrichment) fuel cycle as well as the higher enrichment LEU+ (5%-8% enrichment) fuel cycle. Several modeling tools were used to simulate power synthesis based on the responses of SPNDs, with emitters made out of Rh or V. A representative PWR LEU core was modeled using the Polaris/Purdue Advanced Reactor Core Simulator (PARCS) approach. The Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport 6 (MCNP6) code was used as well to calculate response functions between different segments of fuel to individual SPNDs; this is a crucial parameter for power synthesis. The Oak Ridge Isotope GENeration (ORIGEN) package in the Standardized Computer Analyses for Licensing Evaluation (SCALE) code was used to model the time-dependent isotopic transmutation in the SPND emitters. All these data were fed into a custom code that enacted the point-based iterative method to simulate power synthesis. Developmental work was also performed on high-fidelity SPND models in the GEometry ANd Tracking 4 (Geant4) code, which enables higher-accuracy modeling of the current responses from SPNDs. In this work, five sets of time-dependent power synthesis test cases were conducted. In these test cases, systematic changes in the input conditions enabled an analysis of the effect of (1) slightly inaccurate a priori power distribution assumptions with respect to fuel burnup, (2) highly inaccurate a priori power distribution assumptions with respect to fuel burnup (such that burnup is not included in the a priori assumed distribution), and (3) differences between Rh and V SPNDs in terms of downstream consequences of the transmutation in the emitters and the extended nature of the LEU+ fuel cycle in comparison with LEU. The authors discovered that one may permissibly have slightly inaccurate a priori assumptions of the fuel burnup (such that the level of burnup may be slightly underapproximated or overapproximated by the accumulated burnup in approximately 9.3 full power days), but to not account for burnup at all in the a priori assumptions leads to severe levels of error, approaching 25% at maximum (for LEU). The authors also discovered that V SPNDs are extraordinarily robust in both the LEU and LEU+ fuel cycles considered in this modeling work, whereas Rh SPNDs undergo significant transmutation that can result in large errors in the synthesized power distribution.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

FY26 Progress on Demonstration of a Multiphysics Steady State Capability for Modeling Core Radial Expansion in SFRs

Under the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy 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 in liquid metal-cooled fast reactors and involves multiphysics effects including radiation transport, fluid flow, heat transfer, and mechanical response to temperature and flux gradients. This report summarizes recent progress on developing a multiphysics, MOOSE-based workflow to predict core bowing and associated reactivity feedback. Significant new capabilities in the reactor physics code Griffin - sodium backfill and pin power reconstruction for deformed geometries - were applied in this effort. This year’s work included verification, code comparisons, sensitivity studies, and coupled demonstrations that advance the state of MOOSE-based core bowing workflow. Griffin’s sodium backfill capability was verified by demonstrating that its automated treatment of geometry expansion and material-density updates reproduces manual calculations exactly, confirming solid mass conservation and proper coolant backfilling in expanded geometries. Reconstructed pin powers were compared for Griffin’s ductheterogeneous and ring-heterogeneous treatments in single-, seven-, and nineteen-assembly cases, with best agreement observed in lower-leakage configurations and the duct-heterogeneous approach offering substantially lower computational cost. Thermal-hydraulic sensitivity sensitivities showed that MOOSE SCM, SAM, and CFD are expected to produce similar deformation predictions despite variances in their temperature predictions, and that explicit treatment of inter-assembly flow becomes increasingly important as gap flow rate increases. Finally, coupled demonstrations on small multi-assembly configurations using Griffin, MOOSE Solid Mechanics, MOOSE SCM, and Heat Conduction produced physically consistent reactivity feedback from thermal expansion and bowing. The coupled demonstrations simulated grid plate expansion as well as resultant core bowing at full power conditions. Simplifications were made in current workflow, namely the assumption of instantaneous full power conditions following hot zero power, and pre-expanding the Griffin geometry axially due to lack of an axial fuel pin expansion model and temperature feedback to Griffin.

Wozniak, Nicholas↗
DOE OSTI2024

Hydrogen, Methane, Brine Flow Behavior, and Saturation in Sandstone Cores During H 2 and CH 4 Injection and Displacement

Large-scale underground hydrogen storage (UHS) is a critical component in the emerging hydrogen economy. Knowledge of multiphase flow behavior involving hydrogen in storage reservoir formations is crucial to characterizing hydrogen transport properties and essential for the deliverability and storage operations of UHS. There are still many gaps in fully understanding hydrogen–methane–brine multiphase phase flow that require further investigation. In this work, H 2 and CH 4 were injected through brine-saturated sandstone cores using a tri-axial core holder system fitted with flow rate meters and pressure transducers, while the effluent gas concentrations were analyzed using an online micro gas chromatograph. Brine displacement, permeability, and gas breakthrough curves were measured. We studied the flow behavior of hydrogen and methane in sandstone cores through testing brine displacement by gas injection and comparing the hydrogen displacement of methane with the methane displacement of hydrogen. We also tested the differences between horizontal and vertical flow in brine displacement. The results showed that brine displacement was more efficient in a core with higher permeability and porosity, resulting in a higher initial gas saturation. A higher gas injection rate brought about faster gas breakthrough measured by pore volume and sharper concentration curves. Hydrogen did not exhibit abnormal flow in the sandstone when the flow was horizontal and downward vertical. Gas overriding was observed in brine displacements when the flow was horizontal, with hydrogen showing this behavior more profoundly compared to methane. Downward vertical gas injection induced higher efficiency brine displacement compared to horizontal displacement and resulted in a higher initial gas saturation in the sandstone cores. These findings address critical knowledge gaps regarding gas flow patterns and displacement behaviors during hydrogen injection and recovery phases in UHS facilities using methane as the cushion gas. The insights from this research offer valuable guidance for optimizing UHS systems, ensuring operational efficiency, and advancing sustainable energy solutions in alignment with decarbonization goals.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Strontium-84 Enrichments in Presolar Grains Provide First Evidence of p -process Nucleosynthesis in Core-collapse Supernovae

This study reports detection of rare p-process isotopes within presolar grains. Presolar grains are relic dust grains from dying stars. These microscopic dust particles are found in primitive solar system materials. Their distinct isotopic compositions record the nucleosynthetic processes in their parent stars and the Galactic chemical environment in which these stars formed. We studied presolar graphite grains of high-density type from the Murchison meteorite and found five grains with subgrains that show enrichments in 84 Sr compared to the solar abundance. 84 Sr is the neutron-deficient isotope of strontium that can be produced in the deep oxygen-rich interior of high-mass stars that end their lives as core-collapse supernovae. The observed 84 Sr excesses cannot be produced in low-mass asymptotic giant branch stars, the source of most high-density presolar graphites found in meteorites. High-density graphites with embedded 84 Sr excesses are, instead, compatible with a core-collapse supernovae origin. The graphite subgrains condensed from carbon-rich materials in the outer layers of core-collapse supernovae, where 84 Sr was destroyed by neutron captures during hydrostatic evolution of the stars and their final explosion. Based on current theoretical stellar models, a few percent of contribution from the inner regions of core-collapse supernovae, which are enriched in p-process nuclides, to the outer carbon-rich regions is the most likely explanation for the observed enrichment of 84 Sr in the subgrains of the high-density graphites. In this study, we present the first observational evidence that core-collapse supernovae produce and eject isotopes made by the p-process.

Astronomy and AstroPhysics↗
DOE OSTI2025

CT Scans of Cores Metadata, Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska, 2015

Individual ice cores were collected from Barrow Environmental Observatory in Barrow, Alaska, throughout 2013 and 2014. Cores were drilled along different transects to sample polygonal features (i.e. the trough, center and rim of high, transitional and low center polygons). Most cores were drilled around 1 meter in depth and a few deep cores were drilled around 3 meters in depth. Three-dimensional images of the frozen cores were constructed using a medical X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner. TIFF files can be uploaded to ImageJ (an open-source imaging software) to examine soil structure and soil densities within each core.The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a 15-year research effort (2012-2027) to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research.The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska.Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1971

Description, dissection, and subsampling of Apollo 14 core sample 14230

Core sample 14230, collected at Triplet Crater near the Fra Mauro landing site of the Apollo 14 mission, was dissected in greater detail than any previous core. Sediment from the actual lunar surface was missing, and 6.7 grams of sediment were removed from the base of the core for a portion of the biotest prime sample. Upper and lower portions of the original 70.7-gram core (12.5 centimeters long) were fractured excessively but not mixed stratigraphically. Three major morphologic units and 11 subdivisions were recognized. Dissection provided 55 subsamples in addition to three others made by removing longitudinal sections of the core impregnated with n-butyl methacrylate for use as a permanent documentary record and for studies requiring particles of known orientation.

Fryxell, R.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Fluid flow analysis of a hot-core hypersonic wind-tunnel nozzle concept

A hypersonic-wind-tunnel nozzle concept which incorporates a hot-core flow surrounded by an annular flow of cold air offers a promising technique for maximizing the model size while minimizing the power required to heat the test core. This capability becomes especially important when providing the true-temperature duplication needed for hypersonic propulsion testing. Several two-dimensional wind-tunnel nozzle configurations that are designed according to this concept are analyzed by using recently developed analytical techniques for prediction of the boundary-layer growth and the mixing between the hot and cold coaxial supersonic airflows. The analyses indicate that introduction of the cold annular flow near the throat results in an unacceptable test core for the nozzle size and stagnation conditions considered because of both mixing and condensation effects. Use of a half-nozzle with a ramp on the flat portion does not appear promising because of the thick boundary layer associated with the extra length. However, the analyses indicate that if the cold annular flow is introduced at the exit of a full two-dimensional nozzle, an acceptable test core will be produced. Predictions of the mixing between the hot and cold supersonic streams for this configuration show that mixing effects from the cold flow do not appreciably penetrate into the hot core for the large downstream distances of interest.

Anders, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1972

An out-of-core version of a six cell heat-pipe heated thermionic converter array

A thermionic system concept is described which incorporates a heat-pipe cooled fast spectrum reactor and six-cell thermionic converter modules located in the space radiator. Much of the technology being developed for the in-core thermionic reactor concept is directly applicable to this out-of-core concept, particularly the fuel and converter development activity. The major technology extension required is in the area of heat-pipes for cooling the reactor and carrying thermal energy from the reactor station to the converters. The performance characteristics of an out-of-core thermionic system at power levels between 40 and 70 kWe are summarized, the adaptation of in-core technology to the out-of-core concept is described and applicable heat-pipe technology programs now underway are discussed.

Kroeger, E. W.↗
NASA NTRS1972

To Mars in 30 days by gas-core nuclear rocket.

An important component for a concept involving a 60-day Mars mission is the gas-core nuclear-rocket engine. A gas-core reactor, however, has also other potential applications including MHD power generators, breeder reactors, and nuclear-powered lasers. The gas-core engine uses a fissioning uranium plasma to heat hydrogen and then expands it through a nozzle to convert the thermal energy into thrust. To obtain a higher specific impulse than the 825 sec of the solid-core nuclear-rocket engine, a gas core has to produce hotter hydrogen.

Ragsdale, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Core sample depth relationships - Apollo 14 and 15.

The depth relationships for the Apollo 14 and 15 core tubes and the Apollo 15 drill core are presented, as determined from laboratory simulation studies. Sample at a depth of 40 cm in the Apollo 14 double core tube (virtually the same as the Apollo 12 tubes) represents material from a depth of approximately 58 cm in the lunar surface. The new design of the Apollo 15 core tube results in much less sample disturbance and the depth relationship is practically one-to-one, with sample recovery approaching 100%. The depth relationship for the drill core is also probably close to one-to-one, and its recovery ratio was also 100%.

Carrier, W. D., III↗
NASA NTRS1972

Viscosity of the earth's core

Estimates of the coefficient of kinematical viscosity nu of the earth's liquid metallic core that are given in the geophysical literature range from approximately 0.001 sq cm/s, the viscosity of molten iron at ordinary pressures, to approximately less than 10 to the 8th power sq cm/s, based on the observation that compressional waves traverse the core without suffering serious attenuation. Bumps on the core-mantle boundary with typical horizontal dimensions up to a few thousand km and vertical dimensions h of a few km would produce the topographic coupling between the core and mantle that is evidently implied by the observed decade variations in the length of the day (unless the coupling is due to the presence of rapidly fluctuating magnetic fields in the core).

Hide, R.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Banded transformer cores

A banded transformer core formed by positioning a pair of mated, similar core halves on a supporting pedestal. The core halves are encircled with a strap, selectively applying tension whereby a compressive force is applied to the core edge for reducing the innate air gap. A dc magnetic field is employed in supporting the core halves during initial phases of the banding operation, while an ac magnetic field subsequently is employed for detecting dimension changes occurring in the air gaps as tension is applied to the strap.

Mclyman, C. W. T.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Apollo drill core depth relationships

Preliminary depth relationships are presented for the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 drill core samples. For a given depth in any of these drill stems, the in situ lunar surface depth can be estimated. Ranges of uncertainty are also established, based on percent core recovery and degree of sample disturbance. The most likely explanation for the sample disturbance observed in the top three sections of the Apollo 16 drill stem is sample migration after the stem was capped on the lunar surface; essentially no sample was lost. Similar disturbance occurred in the Apollo 17 drill core, although to a lesser degree. The average original bulk densities (i.e., before any disturbance occurred) of the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 drill cores are 1.76, 1.59, and 1.87 g/cu cm, respectively. The Apollo 15 and 17 values are probably close to the in situ values; but the Apollo 16 average in situ density could be as much as 13% less than the already low density in the drill core.

Carrier, W. D., III↗
NASA NTRS1974

Hydrodynamic instability of the solar nebula in the presence of a planetary core

When a planetary core composed of condensed matter accumulates in the primitive solar nebula, the gas in the nebula becomes gravitationally concentrated as an envelope about the planetary core. An analysis of models of such gaseous envelopes indicates that giant planets (such as Jupiter and Saturn) formed in a massive primitive solar nebula of the type constructed by Cameron and Pine (1973). When the mass of the accumulating planetary core becomes sufficiently great, the surrounding gaseous envelope will become hydrodynamically unstable against collapse onto the planetary core. Much of the surrounding gas also may be compressed onto the core by the background pressure of the gas.

Perri, F.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Preservation of lunar core samples - Preparation and interpretation of three-dimensional stratigraphic sections

Preservation and analysis of core samples collected from the lunar regolith are discussed. The objectives of core sampling are described together with the core-sampling equipment used in the Apollo program. The effects of disaggregation in core samples are summarized, and ways to preserve the stratigraphy in these samples are reviewed, particularly partial impregnation of samples with polybutyl methacrylate. It is shown that stratigraphic sections preserved in this way reveal individual fragments of the regolith in their original positions, primary and secondary depositional structures related to lunar processes, and the nature and extent of deformations caused by sampling equipment. It is concluded that since the core sedimentary structures indicate complex three-dimensional variations in the regolith, quantitative models of regolith evolution must allow for distinctive local histories as well as irregular reworking and deposition events due to impact processes.

Fryxell, R.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A lunar core and the moon's magnetic field

The suggestion that the moon's magnetic field is due to adiabatic magnetohydrodynamic convection of a molten core has been made by a number of recent authors. Considerations based on petrology, mass and rotational inertia limit the size of this hypothetical core to a few hundred kilometers at the most. A proposal has been made that this core is either molten iron or iron sulfide. The properties are known of both molten iron and iron-sulfide at lunar core pressures. No way can be found to maintain circulation in a hypothetical lunar core, as circulation is contingent upon a temperature gradient being greater than the adiabatic gradient, or an internal heat source.

Kennedy, G. C.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Aeroacoustics: Jet noise, combustion and core engine noise

The papers in this volume deal essentially with the question whether the amplification of noise is due to the jet noise phenomenon or perhaps an interaction of airframe and core engine noise. In the area of jet noise suppression, various promising suppressor concepts are examined. The swirling flow jet noise suppressor is shown to provide significant noise reduction with minimal thrust losses. Progress in the aircraft engine core noise problem is reflected by seven research-type papers. Two possible mechanisms are seen to be responsible for core noise. One is the direct noise radiated from the turbulent combustion in the primary combuster and transmitted through the turbine, passing out the nozzle into the far field. The other mechanism is the noise that is emitted from hot spots being convected through the turbine. Which of these mechanisms (or perhaps both mechanisms) is responsible for core noise, and what are the coupling mechanisms of core engine noise and jet noise are the questions confronting researchers.

Schwartz, I. R.↗