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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI1996

Nuclear Safety [Vol. 37, No. 1, January-March 1996]

Nuclear Safety is a journal that covers significant issues in the field of nuclear safety. Its primary scope is safety in the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power reactors worldwide and the research and analysis activities that promote this goal, but it also encompasses the safety aspects of the entire nuclear fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, spent-fuel processing and handling, and nuclear waste disposal, the handling of fissionable materials and radioisotopes, and the environmental effects of all these activities. Table of Contents for this issue follows. GENERAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: 1 A Decision Support System for Maintenance Management of a Boiling-Water Reactor Power Plant, J. H. Shen, A. Ray, and S. Levine; ACCIDENT ANALYSIS: 12 On Prediction of the Ignition Potential of Uranium Metal and Hydride, M. Epstein, W. Luangdilok, M. G. Plys, and H. K. Fauske; 26 An Overview of the Primary Parameters and Methods for Determining Condensation Heat Transfer to Containment Structures, J. Green and K. Almenas; DESIGN FEATURES: 49 Modem Tornado Design of Nuclear and Other Potentially Hazardous Facilities, J. D. Stevenson and Y. Zaho; U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION INFORMATION AND ANALYSES: 73 1994 Accident Sequence Precursor Program Results, R. J. Belles, J. W. Cletcher, D. A. Copinger, B. W. Dolan, J. W. Minarick, and P. D. O'Reilly; ANNOUNCEMENTS: 93 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AlChE) Spring 1997 National Meeting; 94 European Safety and Reliability Association International Conference on Safety and Reliability ESREL ’97; 95 Criticality Safety Challenges in the Next Decade; 96 21st International Symposium on the Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management; 84 The Authors; 88 Letter to the Editor; 90 Indexes to Nuclear Safety, Volume 36.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Thermodynamics of Tritium Trapping by Point Defects at Interfacial Cr-based Phases of the Al Coating

Density functional theory (DFT) simulations have been carried out to evaluate the potential for tritium trapping by metal vacancies in four phases Cr-containing phases (i.e., Cr3Si, Al0.3Cr0.7, Al8Cr5-HT, and Al8Cr5) identified near the interface between the Al coating and 316 stainless steel (316 SS) cladding. In addition, an ab initio thermodynamics approach has been employed to predict the temperature and T2-partial pressure dependence on the thermodynamics of singly tritiated defects. Key results in this work suggest that metal vacancies in the four phases have the potential to favorably trap tritium species, especially Si vacancies in Cr3Si phase. This overall thermodynamic trend can be correlated to the energy cost of having an interstitial tritium in the lattice, which has been calculated to range from 0.17 eV in Al8Cr5-HT to 0.89 eV in Cr3Si. A comparison of the results from this study with previous theoretical works investigating tritium behavior in other Fe-Al phases identified in the aluminide coating, suggests that metal vacancies are generally able to trap tritium in various Fe-Al aluminide phases. Especially, it was found that Si and Al vacancies would be the most efficient to trap for tritium, followed by Cr vacancies, then Fe and Ni vacancies. In the four Cr-based material phases investigated in this work, it is interesting to note that, in the absences of Fe or Ni species, strong interactions between tritium and the metal vacancies are always occurring by the formation of preferential Cr—T bonds (i.e., no Si—T or Al—T bonds were formed).

Sassi, Michel J.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Modern insights into the mechanisms of neptunium oxalate decomposition

Neptunium oxalate (Np(C 2 O 4 ) 2 ·6H 2 O) is a historically relevant solid phase used in nuclear processing as a precursor for neptunium dioxide (NpO 2 ). Although Np oxalate has been synthesized and used for NpO 2 production for decades, the thermal decomposition mechanism of this phase remains poorly understood and has not been evaluated in over 30 years. Conflicting reports in historical literature suggest either a direct conversion from anhydrous oxalate to NpO 2 or a decomposition that includes the formation of Np carbonate or oxidized Np intermediate phases. In this work, we reexamine the decomposition pathway of Np(C 2 O 4 ) 2 ·6H 2 O using thermal analysis coupled with evolved gas analysis and temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy to elucidate decomposition mechanisms and intermediate phases using modern analytical techniques. Thermal analysis revealed a three-stage decomposition process, including dehydration below 200 °C, oxalate breakdown between 170 and 370 °C, and NpO 2 formation by 500 °C. However, an unidentified plateau in the thermal data was observed during measurements. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the stages of decomposition, and in the analysis of potential intermediate phases, no carbonate phases or Np 2 O 5 were identified. Raman data suggest that residual oxalate or nonstoichiometric oxide are present during decomposition before pure NpO 2 is formed. These findings clarify aspects of the Np oxalate decomposition mechanism and address longstanding discrepancies in the literature, with a specific focus on Np-specific materials chemistry.

Lawson, Kathryn M. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Renewable Energy and Efficiency Technologies in Scenarios of U.S. Decarbonization in Two Types of Models: Comparison of GCAM Modeling and Sector-Specific Modeling

Energy system projections from analytic models inform actions ranging from short-term and local decisions, such as technology and infrastructure deployment, to global and long-term negotiations and targets. Computational limits require the designers of these models to trade off between coverage and resolution. Some models, such as the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM), represent all energy sources and uses but at a relatively coarse level of resolution. GCAM balances global supply and demand of all energy carriers by endogenously projecting prices for energy sources and costs of greenhouse gas mitigation while capturing interlinkages between the energy system, water, agriculture and land use, the economy, and the climate. This global model was used to frame the Long-Term Strategy released by the White House in 2021 and has been used to inform national and global economy-wide decarbonization discussions and strategy development for decades. Other models instead focus on a portion of the energy sector with greater detail and resolution. The Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) electricity-sector model, for example, projects capacity expansion with an emphasis on integration of variable renewable energy into the grid of the future. The Transportation Energy and Mobility Pathway Options (TEMPO) transportation-sector model enables analysis of household choices in adoption, charging, and use of electric vehicles. The Scout buildings-sector model supports detailed consideration of the policies and markets that can accelerate the adoption of energy conservation measures in buildings. Such sector-specific models are instrumental in informing technology research, sectoral planning strategies, and sector-specific aspects of greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation strategies in the United States. These global and sector-specific modeling approaches can complement each other. The global approach ensures consistent, endogenous energy pricing and resource allocation, which can substantially diverge from current conditions in transformative scenarios, while the sector-specific approach facilitates representation of granular details across spatial, temporal, technological, and market dimensions that enable exploration of particular interactions and trade-offs. This report presents the results of recent work to explore the differences and tradeoffs between these approaches by comparing GCAM with the sector-specific ReEDS, TEMPO, and Scout models. The report compares both model structures and results, and discusses their potential relevance and applications.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2026

NanoPSD: A software for automatic detection of Nano-Particle Shape Distribution in electron microscopy images

Accurate quantification of the size and morphology of nanoparticles from electron microscopy (EM) images is essential to understand growth mechanisms, surface reactivity, and functional behavior in nanoscale materials. Manual analysis remains slow, subjective, and difficult to reproduce in large datasets. We introduce NanoPSD (Nano-Particle Shape Distribution), an open-source and fully automated framework for quantitative particle detection and morphology analysis from EM images. NanoPSD integrates adaptive contrast enhancement, polarity-agnostic scale-bar detection, Optical Character Recognition (OCR)-based calibration, and classical segmentation via Otsu thresholding with morphological refinement. Particle contours are used to extract geometric descriptors, including equivalent circular diameter, aspect ratio, circularity, and solidity, enabling automated classification into spherical, rod-like, and aggregate morphologies. The framework supports both single-image and batch processing, generating publication-quality visualizations, LaTeX-ready tables, and structured comma-separated values (CSV) datasets. As a demonstration, we applied NanoPSD to plasma-synthesized nanoparticle samples diagnosed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The code produced statistically robust size and morphology distributions spanning a few to tens of nanometers with minimal user supervision. The pipeline demonstrates high reproducibility and scalability, processing large image collections with consistent calibration and output formatting. Its modular design enables seamless integration of future deep-learning-based segmentation models, providing a pathway toward intelligent, data-driven electron microscopy analysis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Electricity Rate Designs for Large Loads: Evolving Practices and Opportunities 2026 Update

Electricity demand from large-load customers such as data centers is projected to grow significantly in the near term. While these large loads play an important role in advancing technology innovation and economic growth in the United States, meeting their energy needs requires utilities and regulators to consider important operational and financial risks, such as insufficient energy supply or underutilized investments, that can impact all customers. This paper builds on similar research published in January 2025, providing an overview of how utilities and regulators are managing these risks through different tariffs, including rate structures and electric service agreements. Regulators, utilities, customers, and other stakeholders can use this paper as a foundation when discussing issues and sharing perspectives on developing or reviewing large-load tariffs.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

CO Adsorption on a Single‐Atom Catalyst Stably Embedded in Graphene

Abstract Confined single metal atoms in graphene‐based materials have proven to be excellent catalysts for several reactions and promising gas sensing systems. However, whether the chemical activity arises from the specific type of metal atom or is a direct consequence of the confinement itself remains unclear.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2023

Surface analysis insight note: Illustrating the effect of adventitious contamination on Pt photoemission peak intensities

Adventitious carbon contaminations are not only omnipresent and used for charge referencing of XPS spectra but also can alter the apparent presence of the element peaks that span over the large spectral window of binding energies. This Insight note describes the effect of an adventitious contamination layer on Pt and presents, in brief, the approach whereby the component spectra are derived for ion beam cleaned Pt samples that can then utilize linear mathematics to peak fit said spectra thus quantifying the amount of each component including that assigned to the contamination itself of Pt metal.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Feasibility of Multi-Use Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Platforms

Tropical islands and coastal communities in the United States and internationally suffer from high energy costs, unreliable electrical supplies, poverty, and underemployment, which are all being exacerbated by climate change. Multi-use Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) systems could align with the goals and values of these underserved and remote communities as scalable platforms that can provide baseload power, freshwater, and food, as well as potentially support new industries. The cold, nutrient-rich deep seawater needed for OTEC’s power cycles has many promising byproduct applications such as seawater air conditioning (SWAC) for residential and industrial cooling, enhancing aquaculture farms (e.g., cooling and nutrients for seaweed, shellfish, finfish), producing freshwater through desalination, and generating efuels such as ammonia and hydrogen.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2026

Computational simulation of asymmetric phase transformation in cracked Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂: Variant selection and chemo-mechanical implications

Coupling between microcracks and phase transformation in ion-conducting ceramics can jointly affect mechanical responses and ion transport. In this work we investigate the cubic-to-tetragonal phase transformation in Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ in the presence of a microcrack under hydrostatic loading and quantify its implications for crack-tip stress concentration and Li-ion transport using phase-field and molecular dynamics simulations. The phase transformation exhibits a strong asymmetry between hydrostatic tension and compression. Under tension, the crack edge nucleates one tetragonal variant that amplifies the crack-tip stress intensity and promotes crack opening. Under compression, the crack tip nucleates a different tetragonal variant that enhances the stress-induced crack-closure tendency. Effective Li diffusivity analysis shows faster transport degradation under compression due to accelerated transformation kinetics, exposing a trade-off between mechanical stability and ionic conductivity. These results highlight the intertwined nature of cracking, phase transformation, and ionic transport in ion-conducting oxides and provide mechanistic insights into chemo-mechanical degradation of solid electrolytes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Low-Temperature Gold Deposition Improves CdTe Back Contacts

Improved back contacts can benefit CdTe photovoltaics (PV). In this work, Cd(Se,Te) PV absorbers are cooled during Au evaporation to thermally quench a chemical reaction occurring between gold and CdTe and the generation of a reaction product that lowers device efficiency. Reducing substrate temperature enhances PV power conversion efficiency via open-circuit voltage and fill factor increases. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals that lower temperature also reduces chemical perturbations of the CdTe, potentially linking back contact formation to a CdTe degradation product that hinders PV performance. Comparing reaction enthalpy and substrate heating energy shows that back contact formation by sputtering elemental metals onto ZnTe may exhibit a degradation pathway analogous to that of CdTe/Au reported here. Degradation-diminishing contact formation processes are therefore of general interest for optoelectronic devices, and the reduced substrate temperature in this study is one example.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Self-aligned heterogeneous quantum photonic integration

Integrated quantum photonics holds significant promise for scalable photonic quantum information processing, quantum repeaters, and quantum networks, but its development is hindered by the mismatch between materials hosting high-quality quantum emitters and those compatible with mature photonic technologies. Heterogeneous integration offers a potential solution to this challenge, yet practical implementations have been limited by inevitable insertion losses at material interfaces. Here, we present a self-aligned heterogeneous quantum photonic integration approach that enables near-unity coupling efficiency at the interface. To showcase our approach, we demonstrate Purcell enhancement of a silicon vacancy (SiV) center in diamond induced by a heterogeneous photonic crystal cavity defined by titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), as well as optical spin control and readout via a TiO 2 photonic circuit. We further show that, when combined with inverse photonic design, our approach enables efficient and broadband collection of single photons from a color center into a heterogeneous waveguide. Our approach is not restricted to SiV centers or TiO 2 ; it has the potential to be broadly applied to integrate diverse solid-state quantum emitters with thin-film photonic devices where conformal deposition is possible. Together, these results establish a practical route to scalable quantum photonic integrated circuits that combine high-quality quantum emitters with technologically mature photonic platforms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Effect of directed energy deposition process parameter on build quality of tantalum

Tantalum is a refractory metal used in a variety of harsh environment applications. Additive manufacturing of tantalum is limited based on its high melting point and affinity for oxygen. Directed Energy Deposition is an additive manufacturing technique with rapid deposition time and compositional flexibility within builds. Additively manufactured tantalum is susceptible to a variety of material and process-based defects. Various lack-of-fusion defects were identified resulting from excessive powder feed rates or insufficient laser power. Oxygen impurities in some samples caused cracking and increased material hardness. Precipitates were identified in the highly oxidized samples which were printed immediately after the build chamber was opened. High-density, low-defect parts were successfully produced. The effects of scan speed, laser power, and powder feed rate on density and defects were analyzed. A processing window was identified for producing high-quality parts which requires adequately high laser power and lower powder feed rate.

DED↗
DOE OSTI2025

Interaction of magnetic fields with spinons in a fractionalized state

The 4d-electron trimer lattice Ba₄Nb₁₋ₓRu₃₊ₓO₁₂ exhibits either a quantum spin liquid (QSL) or a heavy-fermion strange metal (HFSM) phase, depending on Nb content. In the QSL state, itinerant spinons act as effective heat carriers, enhancing thermal conductivity. Strikingly, applying a magnetic field up to 14 T causes an abrupt, up-to-5000% increase in heat capacity below 150 mK, disrupting the linear temperature dependence typical of both phases. Meanwhile, AC susceptibility and electrical resistivity remain nearly unchanged, while thermal conductivity drops by up to 40% below 4 K. These results suggest spinons, despite being charge-neutral, are highly sensitive to magnetic fields at low temperatures. We propose that the magnetic field could induce Anderson localization of spinons, creating emergent non-magnetic two-level systems responsible for the Schottky-like anomaly in heat capacity. These findings point to a previously unexplored regime of spinon dynamics, potentially governed by field-induced localization and distinct from conventional magnetic or transport signatures.

Condensed-matter physics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Utility Experience with Inverter Based Resource Impacts on Transmission Protection

High penetration of inverter-based resources (IBR) can adversely affect the transmission protection schemes in the area. With the proliferation of IBRs, utilities are finding out that conventional protection schemes are not adequately equipped to protect the electric systems because the existing system has been designed based on the fault current response of conventional rotating-machine-based generators. In several cases, the available literature does not provide any clear solution for the issues when the protection scheme does not operate properly near IBRs. This report identifies various protection challenges due to IBRs that industry is facing, from the utility perspective. It includes a broad review of all challenges that system protection has experienced so far with high penetration of IBRs. Key issues have been identified based on a survey of different utility protection engineers. Finally, fault event recordings are shown to demonstrate some actual cases of mis-operations of relays near IBRs.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Quantum control of Hubbard excitons

Quantum control of the many-body wavefunction is a central challenge in quantum materials research, as it could yield a precise control knob to manipulate emergent phenomena. Floquet engineering, the coherent dressing of quantum states with periodic non-resonant optical fields, has become an important strategy for quantum control. Most applications to solid-state systems have targeted weakly interacting or single-ion states, leaving the manipulation of many-body wavefunctions largely unexplored. Here, in this work, we use Floquet engineering to achieve quantum control of a strongly correlated Hubbard exciton in the one-dimensional Mott insulator Sr 2 CuO 3 . A nonresonant midinfrared optical field coherently dresses the exciton wavefunction, driving its rotation between bright and dark states. We use resonant third-harmonic generation to quantify ultrafast π/2 rotations on the Bloch sphere spanned by these exciton states. Our work advances the quest towards programmable control of correlated states and exciton-based quantum sensing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

DESI Strong Lens Foundry. III. Keck Spectroscopy for Strong Lenses Discovered Using Residual Neural Networks

We present spectroscopic data of strong lenses and their source galaxies using the Keck Near-Infrared Echellette Spectrometer (NIRES) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), providing redshifts necessary for nearly all strong-lensing applications with these systems, especially the extraction of physical parameters from lensing modeling. These strong lenses were found in the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys using residual neural networks and followed up by our Hubble Space Telescope program, with all systems displaying unambiguous lensed arcs. With NIRES, we target eight lensed sources at redshifts difficult to measure in the optical range and determine the source redshifts for six, between z s = 1.675 and 3.332. DESI observed one of the remaining source redshifts, as well as an additional source redshift within the six systems. The two systems with nondetections by NIRES were observed for a considerably shorter 600 s at high airmass. Combining NIRES infrared spectroscopy with optical spectroscopy from our DESI Strong Lensing Secondary Target Program, these results provide the complete lens and source redshifts for six systems, a resource for refining automated strong lens searches in future deep- and wide-field imaging surveys and addressing a range of questions in astrophysics and cosmology.

Agarwal, Shrihan [University of Chicago, IL (Unite↗
DOE OSTI1996

Nuclear Safety [Vol. 37, No. 1, January-March 1996]

Nuclear Safety is a journal that covers significant issues in the field of nuclear safety. Its primary scope is safety in the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power reactors worldwide and the research and analysis activities that promote this goal, but it also encompasses the safety aspects of the entire nuclear fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, spent-fuel processing and handling, and nuclear waste disposal, the handling of fissionable materials and radioisotopes, and the environmental effects of all these activities. Table of Contents for this issue follows. GENERAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: 1 A Decision Support System for Maintenance Management of a Boiling-Water Reactor Power Plant, J. H. Shen, A. Ray, and S. Levine; ACCIDENT ANALYSIS: 12 On Prediction of the Ignition Potential of Uranium Metal and Hydride, M. Epstein, W. Luangdilok, M. G. Plys, and H. K. Fauske; 26 An Overview of the Primary Parameters and Methods for Determining Condensation Heat Transfer to Containment Structures, J. Green and K. Almenas; DESIGN FEATURES: 49 Modem Tornado Design of Nuclear and Other Potentially Hazardous Facilities, J. D. Stevenson and Y. Zaho; U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION INFORMATION AND ANALYSES: 73 1994 Accident Sequence Precursor Program Results, R. J. Belles, J. W. Cletcher, D. A. Coplnger, B. W. Dolan, J. W. Minarick, and P. D. O'Reilly; ANNOUNCEMENTS: 93 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AlChE) Spring 1997 National Meeting; 94 European Safety and Reliability Association International Conference on Safety and Reliability ESREL ’97; 95 Criticality Safety Challenges in the Next Decade; 96 21st International Symposium on the Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management; 84 The Authors; 88 Letter to the Editor; 90 Indexes to Nuclear Safety, Volume 36.

05 NUCLEAR FUELS↗