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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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At least 37 records · Page 2

Relating the depth of the water table to the depth of weathering

Weathering of bedrock creates and occludes permeability, affecting subsurface water flow. Often, weathering intensifies above the water table. On the other hand, weathering can also commence below the water table. To explore relationships between weathering and the water table, a simplified weathering model for an eroding hillslope was formulated that takes into account both saturated and unsaturated subsurface water flow (but does not fully account for changes in dissolved gas chemistry). The phreatic line was calculated using solutions to mathematical treatments for both zones. In the model, the infiltration rate at the hill surface sets both the original and the eventual steady-state position of the water table with respect to the weathering reaction front. Depending upon parameters, the weathering front can locate either above or below the water table at steady state. Erosion also affects the water table position by changing porosity and permeability even when other hydrological conditions (e.g. hydraulic conductivity of parent material, infiltration rate at the surface) do not change. The total porosity in a hill (water storage capacity) was found to increase with infiltration rate (all else held constant). Furthermore, this effect was diminished by increasing the erosion rate. We also show examples of how the infiltration rate affects the position of the water table and how infiltration rate affects weathering advance.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Hydrothermal corrosion behavior of CVD SiC in high temperature water

Here, the hydrothermal corrosion of polished and as-cut high purity chemical vapor deposited (CVD) SiC was studied in a constantly refreshing water loop. Light water reactor (LWR) conditions were simulated at 288, 320, and 350 °C with dissolved gas concentrations between 0.15 and 3 ppm H 2 or between 1 and 4 ppm O 2 . In hydrogenated water, the rate of material loss was low, calculated to be ~1.3 μm of recession after 5 years of service in 320 °C water. Moreover, there was no observed localized attack at any temperature. In oxygenated conditions, the corrosion rate was higher, with a calculated material loss >10 μm after 5 years of service in 1 ppm O 2 , 320 °C water. Mass loss significantly increased when grain fallout became significant (as early as 200h with 4 ppm O 2 at 350 °C or after 1000–2000h with 2 ppm O 2 at 288 °C). Grain fallout more than doubled the corrosion rate and a steady state corrosion rate in the grain fallout regime was not observed but expected to eventually occur once large grains begin to be removed. Polished specimens had lower mass loss than unpolished coupons. A kinetic analysis of the data in this work suggests that the corrosion rates are controlled by a single activation step in both oxygenated and deoxygenated conditions, with the reaction order with respect to oxygen being 1. A resulting reaction rate equation to predict corrosion of SiC (in mg/cm 2 s) in high purity water from 288 to 350 °C and up to 4 ppm O 2 was constructed: Rate = $\frac{0.1458}{1+SA}$ T (1.09(1–10 -3 T)[O 2 ]e– $\frac{1.275x10^4}{T}$ + 7.91x10 -6 e– $\frac{7.39x10^3}{T}$).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Characterizing mineralization on low carbon steel exposed to aerated and degassed synthetic hydraulic fracture fluids

This study investigates the mineralization occurring at the interface between injected hydraulic fracturing fluids and steel production casing during the shut-in period of unconventional shale wells. Mild steel coupons were reacted with synthetic hydraulic fracturing fluids with varying base fluid and dissolved gas concentrations. Experiments were carried out in an autoclave system set at 50 °C and 2000 PSI for 2 and 14 days. Physical and mineralogical changes to the steel coupons’ surface were characterized using an FEI Quanta 600 field emission gun (FEG) scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a PANalytical XPert Pro diffractometer. Barite precipitation occurred ubiquitously during the first 48 hours in all experimental scenarios. Sulfate radicals created from degradation and reduction of ammonium persulfate breakers facilitate barite formation. Concomitant barite and corrosion related precipitates on the sample surfaces suggest iron hydroxy salts act as nucleation sites for mineral scale growth. These results suggest hydraulic fracturing fluids may have deleterious effects on the wellbore before production of the well begins.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Semi-empirical model for Henry’s law constant of noble gases in molten salts

Henry’s law constant, which describes the proportionality of dissolved gas to partial pressure of free gas in liquid–gas equilibrium systems, can also be applied to mass transport applications. In this work, we investigated an approach for determining the solubility of noble gases in a molten salt liquid utilizing the equilibrium concept of Henry’s gas constant. Henry’s gas constant is described as a mathematical function dependent on the van der Waals radius of the noble gas and the temperature of the molten salt. The alteration in Gibbs free energy encompasses contributions from both surface and volume energies. Enthalpy and entropy are deduced from these surface and volume energies in the Gibbs free energy formulation. A comparative analysis was conducted between the conventional method and our proposed model. Moreover, useful chemical properties can be determined from examination of surface and volume energies. Our findings provide an accurate and general theory of Gibbs free energy that can be validated experimentally based on the model proposed herein. This work unifies the prediction of Henry gas constant and subsequently the entropy and enthalpy calculation for noble gases in a molten salt solution to a single functional form using van der Waals radius of the gas and temperature of the system. This functional form is then used to perform a multiple regression method to find two parameters corresponding to the surface energy and volume energy. These two parameters are consistent between all combinations of noble gas and molten salt.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

AFM Slip Length Measurements for Water at Selected Phyllosilicate Surfaces

Most reported slip length measurements have been made at the surfaces of synthetic materials and modified synthetic materials. In contrast, few slip length measurements at the surface of unmodified natural mineral surfaces have been reported. In this regard, flow at the silica face surfaces of the phyllosilicate minerals, talc and mica, was considered. A slip boundary condition was expected at the nonpolar hydrophobic silica surface of talc leading to enhanced flow, and a no-slip boundary condition was expected at the hydrophilic silica surface of mica. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) slip length measurements were made at the talc and mica surfaces. The slip length results for the hydrophobic silica surface of talc were contrasted to the results for the hydrophilic silica surface of mica (no-slip flow). The results are discussed based on molecular dynamics simulations (MDS), as reported in the literature, and AFM images of surface nanobubbles. For nonpolar hydrophobic surfaces (such as talc), it is doubtful that the MDS interfacial water structure and the water exclusion zone (3.2 Å) account for the AFM slip flow with slip lengths as great as 95 nm. Rather, a better explanation for the AFM slip flow condition is based on reduced interfacial viscosity due to the presence of dissolved gas and the accommodation of pancake nanobubbles at the talc surface having a height dimension of magnitude similar to the slip length.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Concentration of Kr from Simulated Dissolver Off-Gas Streams Utilizing a Solid Sorbent, HZ-PAN

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has developed and tested engineered sorbents to separate and capture volatile fission products such iodine, xenon (Xe), and krypton (Kr) from off-gas streams. A study was conducted using a solid sorbent, HZ-PAN, to concentrate Kr from a simulated dissolver off-gas stream. The study demonstrates that four adsorption-desorption cycles can transform a 150 ppmv Kr stream into a 37.5% Kr stream, an overall concentration factor of 2497.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Real-Time Monitoring of Gas-Phase and Dissolved CO 2 Using a Mixed-Matrix Composite Integrated Fiber Optic Sensor for Carbon Storage Application

Novel chemical sensors that improve detection and quantification of CO 2 are critical to ensuring safe and cost-effective monitoring of carbon storage sites. Fiber optic (FO) based chemical sensor systems are promising field-deployable systems for real-time monitoring of CO 2 in geological formations for long-range distributed sensing. Here, a mixed-matrix composite integrated FO sensor system was developed with a purely optical readout that reliably operates as a detector for gas-phase and dissolved CO 2 . A mixed-matrix composite sensor coating consisting of plasmonic nanocrystals and hydrophobic zeolite embedded in a polymer matrix was integrated on the FO sensor. The mixed-matrix composite FO sensor showed excellent reversibility/stability in a high humidity environment and sensitivity to gas-phase CO 2 over a large concentration range. This remarkable sensing performance was enabled by using plasmonic nanocrystals to significantly enhance the sensitivity and a hydrophobic zeolite to effectively mitigate interference from water vapor. The sensor exhibited the ability to sense CO 2 in the presence of other geologically relevant gases, which is of importance for applications in geological formations. A prototype FO sensor configuration which possesses a robust sensing capability for monitoring dissolved CO 2 in natural water was demonstrated. Reproducibility was confirmed over many cycles, both in a laboratory setting and in the field. More importantly, we demonstrated on-line monitoring capabilities with a wireless telemetry system, which transferred the data from the field to a website. The combination of outstanding CO 2 sensing properties and facile coating processability makes this mixed-matrix composite FO sensor a good candidate suitable for practical carbon storage applications.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Abatement of radioiodine in aqueous reprocessing off-gas

The reprocessing used nuclear fuel (UNF) releases volatile fission and activation products, including 129 I, into the off-gas of a processing plant. Mitigation of the release of vapor phase radionuclides is necessary for meeting regulatory requirements in the United States and other countries. In an aqueous reprocessing plant, volatile radioiodine could be present in several forms, depending on the chemistry of the process used. Inorganic iodine will be the predominate species in any shearing or voloxidation pretreatment off-gas and dissolver off-gas (DOG). Organic iodides such as CH 3 I, C 4 H 9 I, and C 12 H 25 I have been proposed to be generated during solvent extraction; thus, these species must be captured from the vessel off-gas (VOG). The abatement of inorganic and organic iodide species to meet United States regulatory requirements has been demonstrated in laboratory experiments using Ag-based solid sorbents. The data presented in this paper includes the effect of gas composition (e.g., the presence of water vapor and NO x ), iodine speciation (I 2 , CH 3 I, C 4 H 9 I, C 12 H 25 I), and sorbent bed parameters (e.g., temperature, sorbent age) on complete iodine capture on Ag-mordenite in an aqueous reprocessing plant.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

ASC Poster - Concentration of Xe from Simulated Dissolver Off-gas Streams Utilizing a Solid Sorbent, AgZ-PAN

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has developed and tested engineered sorbents to separate and capture volatile fission products such iodine (I), xenon (Xe), and krypton (Kr) from off-gas streams. As noble gases, Xe and Kr can be difficult to capture and separate. Historically, cryogenic distillation has been used to execute the separation, but this method can pose significant hazards. INL has successfully developed two sorbents for Xe and Kr capture, silver mordenite polyacrylonitrile (AgZ-PAN) and hydrogen mordenite polyacrylonitrile (HZ-PAN). Adsorption studies to date successfully separated and captured Xe from carrier gas streams, but those studies focused primarily on initial separation and capture. In addition, the ability to concentrate Xe through multiple adsorption and desorption cycles has not been studied and therefore is the focus on this presentation. Concentrating Xe during desorption is ideal to produce Xe that can be used for commercial and research applications.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Method and apparatus for desalinating water

This disclosure concerns a system and a method for removing dissolved solids from liquids. Specific implementations concern desalinating water. The system may comprise a blower, such as a thermal fan/compressor, configured to atomize a solid-bearing liquid to produce a hot, humid gas containing dissolved solids; a gas-solid separator configured to receive hot, humid gas containing entrained dissolved solids from the blower to separate the solids from the humid gas and to transmit the humid gas with solids removed through an exit port; a heater configured to heat the hot, humid gas received from the exit port of the gas-solid separator; and a condenser configured to receive heated humid gas from the heater and to condense solids-free liquid therefrom. The thermal fan/compressor may comprise a plurality of nozzles with outlets positioned adjacent atomization apertures across which a solid-bearing liquid flows and through which gas exiting the nozzles passes.

Abbasi, Bahman↗

Method and apparatus for desalinating water

This disclosure concerns a system and a method for removing dissolved solids from liquids. Specific implementations concern desalinating water. The system may comprise a blower, such as a thermal fan/compressor, configured to atomize a solid-bearing liquid to produce a hot, humid gas containing dissolved solids; a gas-solid separator configured to receive hot, humid gas containing entrained dissolved solids from the blower to separate the solids from the humid gas and to transmit the humid gas with solids removed through an exit port; a heater configured to heat the hot, humid gas received from the exit port of the gas-solid separator; and a condenser configured to receive heated humid gas from the heater and to condense solids-free liquid therefrom. The thermal fan/compressor may comprise a plurality of nozzles with outlets positioned adjacent atomization apertures across which a solid-bearing liquid flows and through which gas exiting the nozzles passes.

Abbasi, Bahman↗

Large-scale paleo water-table rise in a deep desert aquifer recorded by dissolved noble gases

Illuminating past hydrological and climatological conditions in arid regions may provide insights into future trends in groundwater availability. The main objective of this study is to explore paleorecharge processes in the deep regional Nubian Sandstone Aquifer (NSA), which stretches below the hyperarid deserts of the Sinai Peninsula (Egypt) and the Negev (Israel), using dissolved noble gas data. Extremely high amounts of dissolved excess air (Ne concentrations up to 4 × solubility equilibrium) were observed in the ancient ( 81 Kr-depleted) groundwater that was recharged during past pluvial epochs in the basin. Here, the observed unique excess air signal and the clear spatiotemporal structure of the noble gas compositions in the aquifer are hypothesized to reflect two major characteristics of the groundwater system: (a) large-scale, long-term rises in the water table that facilitate the entrapment and dissolution of air bubbles under increased hydrostatic pressure, and (b) the geological settings in the southern recharge area in Sinai, including an almost horizontal position of the layers and intercalation of low-permeability rock formations within the aquifer, which inefficiently reject air bubbles from groundwater, thereby allowing for substantial entrapment of bubbles that dissolve as the water table rises. Enhanced dissolution of entrapped air was also observed in other paleo-groundwater-containing regional sandstone aquifers across North Africa, which, together with the recent findings from the NSA, suggest that largescale water table fluctuations have likely extensively occurred during past pluvial periods over these (and possibly other) arid regions. A preliminary assessment of noble gas recharge temperatures (NGTs) indicates an apparent decoupling of surface and water table temperatures in the case of deep aquifers with a thick (hundreds of m) unsaturated zone. This observed decoupling calls for a re-evaluation of previously obtained NGT records and a need for future work to consider the modification of NGTs due to soil air fractionation and geothermal heating of the underlying deep unsaturated zones.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Methane Consuming Biocatalysts in Gas-Solid Reactor System

Carbon dioxide and methane are the two most abundant greenhouse gases with methane having a higher global warming potential (GWP) than carbon dioxide. Use of methanotrophs as a biocatalyst is a green alternative to chemical conversion of methane. Methanotrophs were immobilized in a 4-arm poly (-ethylene glycol)-tetra-acrylate, PEGTA, hydrogel that is supported by a 3D printed lattice containing micropores. The consumption rate of methane was 2.5 and 42 g CH 4 /L-hr in samples that were at 1 and 3 atm, respectively. A small increase in pressure of the system improves the consumption rate by almost 20x with minimal changes to the reactor system. This system relies on the mass transport of gas through a solid-like material rather than dissolving the gas in a liquid. Immobilization of cells in hydrogel allows for higher cell density and overall increased conversion rates compared to traditional stirred tank reactors. There are many other applications of the use of immobilized biological materials in polymers that require gas-phase reactions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Concepts for Actinide Recovery from TRISO Used Nuclear Fuel

The work described in this report has developed a preliminary conceptual flowsheet based on limited published literature for the head-end of a TRISO oxycarbide UNF reprocessing plant. The essential function of the head-end is to prepare the UNF for subsequent separation of actinides. The main steps of the conceptual TRISO UNF head-end reprocessing flowsheet are: 1. Fragmentation of the graphite moderator to expose the fuel particles. 2. Separation of fuel particles from fragmented graphite moderator by sieving and fluidization. 3. Fragmentation of the fuel particles to expose the fuel kernel. 4. Dissolution of the fuel kernel in nitric acid. Noteworthy at this step is the formation of organic acids (mainly oxalic and mellitic acids) from the carbon associated with the fuel and TRISO coatings. These acids can interfere with actinide separations and solvent extraction hydraulic performance and carbon dioxide gas generation. 5. Clarification of the dissolved fuel solution to separate the coating fragments. 6. Dissolver off-gas treatment with specific emphasis on managing generation of carbon dioxide gas containing carbon-14. The quantity of carbon dioxide is projected to be 100 to 1000 times greater than that arising from dissolving LWR UNF. Pre or post treatment of the exposed fuel kernels could be undertaken to mitigate the formation of organic acids but there still exists a significant off-gas treatment challenge. The literature on reprocessing uranium nitride UNF was reviewed but a flowsheet was not specifically developed since its scope and uncertainties are expected to be encompassed by the oxycarbide flowsheet. Overall, the predominant feature of processing TRISO UNF is carbon management to reduce waste volume and mitigate the formation of carbon dioxide and organic acids. This report recommends broad areas of research that will help to further define the head-end flowsheet.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Iodine Sorption on AgZ-PAN

The Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain Program Material Recovery and Waste Form Development (MRWFD) Campaign Off-gas Sigma Team has performed research and development on iodine control and iodine waste forms for the past several years. This research and development has included iodine adsorption tests using a laboratory-scale test system containing multiple-segmented fixed beds of iodine adsorbents. Iodine capture performance has been tested using (a) non-radioactive synthetic gas mixtures blended from air, nitrogen, NO, NO 2 , water, to simulate dissolver off-gas (DOG) and vessel off-gas (VOG) streams from used nuclear fuel aqueous reprocessing, (b) inorganic and organic iodine species, and (c) different sorbents. An initial test of silver-functionalized mordenite in polyacrylonitrile matrix (AgZ-PAN) was conducted to assess if this sorbent, initially designed for selective sorption of Xe that evolves into used fuel reprocessing off-gas streams, could also be a candidate for iodine sorption. This test was conducted using the same deep-bed test system and methodologies used in many prior iodine sorption tests using other sorbents. Diatomic iodine (I2) was used as the target iodide in a gas stream containing air, NO, NO 2 , and moisture designed to simulate an aqueous reprocessing dissolver off-gas (DOG) stream.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Dynamic soil columns simulate Arctic redox biogeochemistry and carbon release during changes in water saturation

Thawing Arctic permafrost can induce hydrologic change and alter redox conditions, shifting the balance of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. There remains uncertainty about how soil saturation and redox transitions impact dissolved and gas phase carbon fluxes, and efforts to link hydrobiogeochemical processes to ecosystem-scale models are limited. This study evaluates SOM decomposition of Arctic tundra soils using column experiments, water chemistry measurements, microbial community analysis, and a PFLOTRAN reactive transport model. Soil columns from a thermokarst channel (TC) and an upland tundra (UC) were exposed to cycles of saturation and drainage, which controlled carbon emissions. During saturation, an outflow of dissolved organic carbon from the UC soil correlated with elevated reduced iron and decreased pH; during drainage, UC carbon dioxide fluxes were 70% higher than TC fluxes. Intermittent methane release was observed for TC, consistent with higher methanogen abundance. Slower drainage in the TC soil correlated with more subtle biogeochemical changes. PFLOTRAN simulations captured experimental trends in soil carbon fluxes, oxygen concentrations, and water contents. The model was then used to evaluate additional soil water drainage rates. This study emphasizes the importance of considering hydrologic change when evaluating and simulating SOM decomposition in dynamic Arctic tundra environments.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Research on oxygen solubility in aqueous amine solvents with common additives used for CO 2 chemical absorption

Oxidative degradation in amine based post-combustion carbon capture (PCCC) leads to solvent losses and decreased solvent performance. Oxygen (O 2 ) in the flue gas is dissolved into the aqueous solvent and can reactively degrade the amine component. Advanced aqueous amine solvents are designed to contain additional surfactant and anti-foam additives as well as two types of corrosion inhibitors. These additives contribute to improve the solvent performance while reducing foaming and corrosion of expensive equipment. This work examines the impact of these additives on oxygen solubility (or dissolved oxygen - DO) in various aqueous amines used in PCCC including ethanolamine (MEA), 1-amino-2-propanol (A2P), 2-amino-1-propanol (2A1P), 2-(methylamino)-ethanol (NMEA), 2-(ethylamine)-ethanol (2EAE), diethanolamine (DEA), methyl-diethanolamine (MDEA), dimethylethanolamine (DMEA), piperazine (PZ), 1,2-ethyldiamine (EDA), and 1,6 hexadiamine (HDA). Further, the impact of carbon loading on oxygen solubility with and without these additives was also examined. The surfactant and anti-foam additives had minimal impact on DO for all the solvents investigated. The two anticorrosion additives had opposite effects in the measured DO, 2- mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) decreased the DO concentration, and sodium metavanadate showed an increase. These results indicate that several of these common additives can be expected to minimally affect DO related oxidative degradation in these advance amine solvents.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗