Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “status report”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 325 records · Page 18

The static energy in 2+1+1-flavor QCD

We report on the status of the analysis of the static energy in $2+1+1$-flavor QCD. The static energy is obtained by measuring Wilson line correlators in Coulomb gauge using the HISQ action, yielding the scales $r_{0}/a$, $r_{1}/a$, $r_{2}/a$, their ratios, and the string tension $\sigma r_{i}^{2}$. We put emphasis on the possible effects due to the dynamical charm-quark by comparing the lattice results to continuum results of the static energy with and without a massive flavor at two-loop accuracy. We employ gauge-field ensembles from the HotQCD and MILC Collaborations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Interim Creep, Fatigue and Creep-Fatigue Data from FY 2022 INL Testing of A709 with Precipitation Treatment for ASME Code Case Data Package

This report provides the status of creep, fatigue, and creep-fatigue testing that transpired in fiscal year 2022 at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This testing is being conducted to develop the data package to qualify A709 in Section III, Division 5 of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC). This would permit the use of A709 for elevated temperature nuclear construction. Preliminary results continue to demonstrate the improved creep and fatigue resistance of A709 compared to 316H stainless steel.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Results of Initial Alloy 617 High Temperature Crack Growth Testing

Crack propagation data can provide valuable insights when performing a safety evaluation for a component. Alloy 617 is qualified in Section III, Division 5 of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) for elevated-temperature nuclear service up to 950°C. Little is known, however, about subcritical crack-growth phenomena in Alloy 617. Previous crack-growth studies of Alloy 617 did not investigate temperatures across the range which is currently qualified in Section III, Division 5. High-temperature crack-growth testing in air and in reactor-grade helium can provide data for establishing the crack-growth correlations in support of an ASME BPVC Section XI high-temperature flaw evaluation Code Case. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has previously performed crack-growth testing, but the equipment requires revitalization. This report provides the status of crack-growth testing in Alloy 617 at INL.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

A summary of the mechanical properties data developed in FY 2023 by ANL, INL and ORNL to support the data package development for the A709 Code Case

This report provides the status of tensile, creep, fatigue, and creep-fatigue testing to date conducted at Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to generate the data package required to qualify Alloy 709 in American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 5. The Division 5 Class A Alloy 709 Code Case requires data generated from a minimum of three commercial heats. Extensive mechanical properties data have been generated on two commercial heats, and some initial test data have been generated from the third commercial heat. The room temperature tensile test results for the three commercial heats met the specification minimum of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section II, Part A, SA-213/SA-213M for Grade TP310MoCbN (UNS S31025) seamless tubing. These three commercial heats of Alloy 709 are suitable for generating the code case data.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Application of the FaMUS Methodology to the NSUF Research Outputs Through End of 2019

The Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) is one of a diverse group of DOE user facilities. It is focused on advancing the understanding of radiation effects in nuclear fuels and materials in support of nuclear energy applications. The NSUF has been operating since 2007 and has developed a significant portfolio of supported research. Therefore, it is appropriate to consider its achievements and to determine its successes and shortfalls. As part of this analysis of the NSUF research program, the NSUF has developed a novel and elegant formalism for assessing the current level of understanding of nuclear fuels and materials for use in nuclear environments: the NSUF Fuels and Materials Understanding Scale (FaMUS). The FaMUS methodology is being applied to the NSUF portfolio on an ongoing basis to quantify the progress made. This report summarizes the status of the assessment exercise and highlights general lessons learned. This examination will facilitate capability balancing of future research by identifying gaps in knowledge, understanding, testing, and demonstration allowing the NSUF program office in conjunction with DOE-NE to direct resources to important aspects of the DOE-NE mission using “emphasize & enhance”, “maintain”, and “encourage excellence” classifications as well as providing increased transparency to researchers.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Panel Session 89: Progress on Deep Repository Around the World

This panel focused on the progress of deep repository programs, worldwide. While efforts on a deep geological repository for SNF/UNF and HLW in the USA were terminated in 2010, several other repository programs continue to make considerable progress 10 and deserve to be recognized. Panelists from national, multi-national, and international repository programs and organizations reported on the status and future plans as well as the perceived reasons underlying the success and the failure of components of their respective repository program. This session provided a forum for interested parties to present, exchange, and take advantage of, as appropriate, repository progress, challenges, concepts/designs and other lessons learned around the world, including site characterization, site selection, research and development, licensing, construction, operation, and public acceptance and participation. Panelists with presentations: Switzerland's Geological Repository Program for Radioactive Waste (Tim Vietor); Update on NWMO's Progress in Implementing Canada's Plan (Sarah Hirschorn); Cigeo Project Progress and Next Milestones (Corinne Bauer)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Dover CoreGuard Ⓡ Cybersecurity Protections for Critical Energy Infrastructure Final Report

This report documents the status of technical objectives and activities for the Department of Energy (DOE) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project, titled “Dover CoreGuard Ⓡ Cybersecurity Protections for Critical Energy Infrastructure” (Award No. DE-SC0023743), undertaken by Dover Microsystems, Inc., Wayland, MA. The Principal Investigator for this project was Dr. Stephen Papa, Dover’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO). The contract PoP (Period of Performance) is scheduled for completion by February 9, 2024.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

FY25 Status Update on A709 Code Case Testing at ANL

This report provides an update on the status of the creep rupture testing on the precipitation-treated (PT) Alloy 709 samples fabricated from the first, the second and the third commercial heats, in support of the first, 100,000-hour Alloy 709 Code Case development under the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Section III, Division 5 for high-temperature reactor construction. In Fiscal Year (FY) 25, no new tests were initiated, while 5 previously loaded tests were completed. This report presents an overview of the creep-rupture data gathered at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) since FY21 that totaled 52 completed tests. Metallographic images showing crack morphologies in some representative samples ruptured in FY25 are also included. Key conclusions include: 1) the creep behavior of the three heats of Alloy 709 can be well described by the Larson-Miller relationship; 2) higher temperatures and larger stresses lead to shorter creep life and higher minimum creep rate; 3) Alloy 709 is overall very ductile under creep; 4) the crack morphologies near fracture surfaces are dependent on material’s grain size and test conditions.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Status memorandum on ORNL support of vendor irradiation capsule design and ASME irradiation code development and new ASTM test standard development activities

This report is in submission of completion of the Level 4 milestone number M4TG-24OR0501111 within the larger Advanced Reactor Technologies Gas Cooled Reactor program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The focus of this year’s efforts is to continue support of industry needs related to the development of future industry-funded irradiation programs. At ORNL these efforts included the development of a generalized three-dimensional CAD model of an irradiation creep capsules for graphite, cost estimates of the expansion of the Materials Irradiation Facility (MIF), involvement with ASTM D02.F0 “Manufactured Carbon and Graphite Products” and the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, and publication of papers supporting these efforts. This report will document the status of these activities.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

ASME Code Revisions to Incorporate 316H and Alloy 617 Viscoplastic Constitutive Models to Section III, Division 5 and Code Case N-898

This report provides a final status update on work to develop and implement two new constitutive models for 316H stainless steel and the Ni-based Alloy 617 in Nonmandatory Appendix Z to the Section III, Division 5, Subsection HB, Subpart B ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code rules covering the design and construction of Class A high temperature nuclear reactor components. This report summarizes the objections of the overall project and provides the final versions of the constitutive models proposed for incorporation into the ASME Code. The report also provides an update on the balloting status at ASME of the two proposed constitutive models. As of the time of writing (July 2022) the models are on-track to be approved by ASME after the August 2022 Code Week. If so, this will mean the 316H model will be published in the 2023 edition of the Code and the A617 model available as part of a revised Code Case immediately

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Acoustic-based monitoring and machine learning of component status for microreactor applications

This report provides a description and assessment of recent efforts to couple acoustic-based experimental measurements and characterization with machine learning models in order to enhance structural health monitoring capabilities for nuclear microreactors. With resilient embedded sensors in development by others supported by programs funded by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, the work described herein builds upon ongoing efforts to improve non-destructive testing technology that relates measured acoustic signatures to component stresses and/or structural defects, using a combination of new experimental measurements and machine learning architectures. The experimental procedure remained similar to that developed for the previous year’s demonstration of damage detection by the authors, with the same damaged sample tested under similar applied stress conditions. Notably, a new mounting fixture was designed and implemented to improve measurement consistency and a more sophisticated laser Doppler vibrometer was employed to make high-fidelity vibration measurements. Two nominally identical sets of training data were collected for each experimental setup to better understand the repeatability of the experiment and to better test the generality of trained neural network models. Additionally, we obtained new high-quality 3D mode shapes of the damaged test article at various stress and excitation levels, providing greater insights into the physical response of the sample during testing. Previously, we demonstrated that a machine learning model based on a convolutional neural network can predict structural details of an artificially introduced interface (intact, rough cut, smooth cut), and the applied torque level. In this study, we have transitioned to graph-based neural network architectures to better develop and test a flexible framework that is more suitable to being transferred away from controlled benchtop experiments and into more applied settings where less-structured data inputs may be expected. In general, performance testing of a graph neural network on frequency-domain representations of the data indicates strong and consistent identification of test conditions for datasets recorded on damaged components. With goals of predicting damage location and other changing experimental conditions using limited datasets, predictive models using a graph neural network architecture correctly predicted the applied torque level with an accuracy of 85% using only a single measurement point and predicted within one torque level in 95% of test windows. Predictions of damage location had limited success due to the symmetry and minimal number of the damage scenarios presented during model training. Results were ambiguous as to whether the model could detect the location of the artificial damage, or if it was instead learning the location of a given measurement point on the part and subsequently detecting which points were closest to the location of the damage. This finding will be factored into upcoming planned work on damaged graphite components, where new experimental tests with a larger number and variety of damage scenarios are expected to provide improved validation of recent developments in monitoring methodology.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

CONNECT Neutronics Initial Report

This report represents the first status update from the Creation of Next-generation Nuclear Energy Computational Technology (CONNECT) effort within the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Program and is intended to satisfy the reporting requirements of the following milestones: • M3MS-24OR0101321: Assess needs, requirements and opportunities for high-fidelity neutronics and transport as used in DOE-NE program. • M3MS-24AN0101301: Generate a community report on the needs, requirements, and opportunities for high-fidelity neutronics and transport as used in DOE-NE programs and industry. • M3MS-24OR0202433: Implement and assess numerical strategies leveraging Monte Carlo neutron transport on GPUs for production analysis. In particular, Sections 1, 2, and 3 detail the assessment of the current state of practice and the landscape of the broader advanced computing world to meet the objectives of M3MS-24OR0101321 and M3MS-24AN0101301, while Sections 4 and 5 describe new work during FY24 to extend current GPU Monte Carlo capabilities in areas relevant to active NEAMS development to satisfy M3MS-24OR0202433. Section 6 offers some thoughts about the potential future impact of Monte Carlo neutronics on NEAMS and the nuclear industry.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Planning Near-Term Tasks for the Development of Advanced Reactor Mechanistic Source Term Modeling and Simulation Tools

To assist both the advanced reactor industry and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in the pursuit of reactor design and licensing, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program has established a mechanistic source term (MST) research project under the auspices of the Application Drivers technical area. The MST research project is a collaboration between Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) with a high-level objective to coordinate the development of comprehensive advanced reactor MST mod/sim capabilities to support risk-informed design and licensing decisions. As part of this effort, an MST mod/sim development pathway was developed in FY21, which outlines the high-level objectives and near-term tasks necessary to achieve the project objectives. Since publication of the development pathway, Argonne and SNL have been addressing the “near-term tasks” outlined in the report. The current provides a status update of the progress achieved in the fourth quarter of FY21. The report structure follows that of ref and is divided by advanced reactor type: High temperature gas reactor (HTGR), molten salt reactor (MSR) including fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactor (FHR), and sodium fast reactor (SFR). Each section reviews the near-term tasks associated with the reactor type, current progress, and future plans. The near-term tasks associated with consequence modeling are reviewed in an upcoming work by SNL.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Fuel Performance Modeling Plan to Support the Advance Gas Reactor Program

This report documents the current status of the fuel performance modeling initiative to support the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) program in the development of tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coated fuel particles. A brief summary of the modeling codes that have been developed to support TRISO modeling is included along with a summary of the behavior of fuel particles during irradiation and the modeling used to capture these effects. In addition, this report identifies further modeling and material property needs that have been identified for further development based on experience from previously performed AGR experiments. In general, the remaining activities to support fuel performance modeling for the AGR program include continued AGR experiment support for AGR-3/4 and AGR-5/6/7 as well as modeling improvements identified throughout the course of the program. These modeling improvements can be summarized as the following: Fission product transport Thermomechanical particle behavior Additional modeling needs may be identified during the processing the data collected during the AGR post-irradiation examination (PIE) campaign and may lead to further modeling improvements that are not included in this report.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Fuel Performance Modeling Plan to Support the Advance Gas Reactor Program

This report documents the current status of the fuel performance modeling initiative to support the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) Fuel Development and Qualification Program in the development of tristructural-isotropic-coated fuel particles. It includes a brief summary of the codes that have been developed to support tristructural isotropic modeling along with a summary of the behavior of fuel particles during irradiation and the modeling used to capture these effects. In addition, this report identifies further modeling and material property needs for further development based on experience from previously performed AGR experiments. In general, the remaining activities to support fuel performance modeling for the AGR program include continued AGR experiment support for AGR-3/4 and AGR-5/6/7 as well as modeling improvements identified throughout the course of the program. These modeling improvements can be summarized as thermomechanical particle behavior and fission product transport. Additional modeling needs may be identified while processing the data collected during the AGR post-irradiation examination campaign and may lead to further improvements that are not included in this report.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Status of Fast Spectrum Molten Salt Reactor Waste Management Practice

The study described in this report was initiated to evaluate the status of waste management practices associated with fast spectrum molten salt reactors (FS-MSRs). Waste management practices for MSRs are fundamentally very different from those of their solid-fueled counterparts. To best advance MSR concepts to implementation, these differences warrant fresh thinking on a variety of subject areas, rather than adapting techniques established for solid-fueled reactors. A number of areas are recommended for focused research and development:

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Recovery of Zr from ZrCl 4 by Electrolysis in Fused Salts and Ionic Liquids: Literature Review and Test Plan

This report reviewed the current status on the research and development of Zr electrodeposition in high temperature molten salts and room temperature ionic liquids from ZrCl 4 , which is the product of the chlorination process developed for recycling the Zr claddings of the spent nuclear fuels. Due to the pyrophoricity issue, the Zr metal product from the electrodeposition process is desired to be of coarse, dense crystalline or plates (instead of powder or loose, fine crystals) that are not to be easily oxidized. The findings based on the literature review are included in the report.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗