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DOE OSTI2025

Reduced Contracting Time To Accelerate Construction: A Streamlined Approach for Speed and Scale

In the fast-paced construction world, efficiency isn't just an advantage - it's a necessity. By implementing the Cooperative Construction Contracting Agreement (CCCA), we are transforming how we approach major projects, replacing traditional multistep contracting with a streamlined, one-step process. This innovative contracting approach saves valuable time and resources, enabling us to accelerate delivery across our portfolio of projects. Under the old model, each construction phase required separate competitive solicitations for design, build, and other services. With the CCCA, we've consolidated these steps, working with a trusted partner from start to finish. This results in significant time savings that translate into faster project execution without compromising quality or safety.

collaborative partnerships↗

DOE OSTI2020

User Access to Scientific Facilities via 5G: A Cyber Security Thought Experiment

5G is more than an over-the-air radio technology upgrade. It is a strategy to extend Mobile Network Operator service offerings beyond traditional voice, instant messaging and Internet access. 5G Mobile Network Operators will offer new telecommunication services that include enhanced guarantees of confidentiality, integrity and availability. How could such services change the way Science collaborations connect scientists to supercomputers and other scientific facilities? Current scientific collaborations implicitly trust cloud service providers to securely store and process data. The perceived risks of outsourcing Science data security are counterbalanced by assurances that cloud providers operate at a scale that allows them to implement security measures impractical for Science collaborations (e.g. continuous system administrator behavioral monitoring and strict individual separation of duties). If that is true for a cloud service provider like Amazon Web Services (2018 revenue: $25.7 billion), could it also be true for Mobile Network Operators like Verizon Wireless (2018 revenue: $91.7 billion) or AT&T Mobility (2018 revenue: $71.3 billion)? DOE Leadership Class supercomputer facility users currently access them from the public Internet via Secure Shell. The sponsors and operators of the supercomputer facilities have determined that the public Internet path between the Scientist’s Device and the Login Node does not natively provide enough confidentiality or integrity to protect those communications. Therefore, the facilities achieve additional confidentiality and integrity by requiring Secure Shell encryption across those untrusted network paths. Using 5G Network Slice technology, a Mobile Network Operator may offer communication services between supercomputer users and facilities that natively provide confidentiality and integrity guarantees. Sponsors and operators of supercomputer facilities may determine that these guarantees provide enough confidentiality and integrity to protect those communications. If so, a 5G Network Slice could replace an SSH session running over the public Internet. Finally, this use case could be extended to other Office of Science user facility access requirements. Consider microscopy instruments at (e.g.) the Center for Nanoscale Materials or the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory. The embedded systems controlling such instruments may not always support encrypted network access technologies like SSH. 5G Network Slices may offer an alternative to current VPN or SSH tunneling techniques, with additional benefits like guaranteed minimum bandwidth.

5G↗

DOE OSTI2023

In-situ observation of single-phase compositionally-complex oxide formation during high-pressure and high-temperature synthesis

Compositionally-complex oxides (CCOs) with equal or non-equal atomic ratios of multi-principal cations are single-phase solid solutions and possess unique structural characteristics and correlated possibilities for tailorable and exceptional functionalities. However, breakdown of single-phase structure and phase separation impair widespread adoption of CCOs under in-service environments. Here, in-situ phase transformation during high-pressure and high-temperature synthesis of an exemplary CCO (CeZrHf) 0.852 (YbY) 0.148 O 2-δ is for the first time clarified by using synchrotron X-ray energy dispersive diffraction. During synthesizing at ~4.5 GPa inside a large-volume press, ZrO 2 and HfO 2 gradually initiate lattice diffusion as monoclinic (022) and (220) peaks collapse and merge completely at 973 K; CeO 2 starts diffusing as the dramatic intensity change of cubic (220) peak above 1073 K, causing a metastable phase formation; single-phase solid solution ultimately forms at 1673 K. Importantly, the results revealed provide in-depth understanding of phase transformation dynamics and insights for novel design paradigm of CCOs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2023

Modeling Exhaust-Generated Aerodynamic Pressure Loads on Airfield Matting Repair Systems

Airfield matting systems are commonly used for rapid repair of damaged runways to facilitate continuity of critical operations. Under normal service conditions, matting repair systems are subject not only to wheel loads exerted by airfield traffic but also to aerodynamic pressure loads resulting from high-speed, turbulent exhaust plumes produced by jets during taxi and take-off. Matting systems employed by the U.S. Air Force have been tested with respect to wheel loads, but probabilities of failure because of pressure loads produced by jet exhaust have not yet been established. This study presents a numerical approach for preliminary estimation of worst-case matting anchor forces resulting from exhaust-generated pressure loads. Using a two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model, system behavior is evaluated by means of a parametric study of six system variables, of which the most significant are: (1) distance between engine and matting, (2) depth of cavity openings at matting edges, and (3) engine exhaust velocity. The results demonstrate that matting systems are likely to experience net uplift in typical service scenarios, driven by the combined effects of flow separation and cavity pressurization. Worst-case anchor pull-out forces, computed according to a tributary-area approach, are estimated to fall in the range of 130 lb (581 N) to 979 lb (4,350 N), depending on assumed load-sharing behavior among anchors and the size of the repair site. Field testing of instrumented matting systems during jet taxi and take-off sequences is recommended as the best next step toward understanding system behavior.

Engineering↗

DOE OSTI2022

Dry in-pile fracture test (DRIFT) for separate-effects validation of ceramic fuel fracture models

Fracture is an important component of nuclear fuel behavior, and significant efforts have been invested into developing fuel performance models that are capable of accurately representing fracture. Usable data on the process of fracture propagation in nuclear fuel under realistic service conditions are very limited. To address this need, a series of separate-effects experiments were developed and performed at Idaho National Laboratory's Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility. These experiments employ a heat sink to radially remove heat from the fuel in a manner that approximates the effect of coolant in an operating light-water reactor (LWR). The test holder for these experiments is known as the Dry In-pile Fracture Test (DRIFT). A series of experiments employing DRIFT and TREAT were performed to provide data on the extent and nature of fracture in fresh fuel at various points during a ramp to full power. Novel aspects of these experiments include the way they employ a heat sink to replicate steady-state LWR conditions, as well as the use of fiber optic sensors for in-reactor thermal instrumentation. Details on the development of this experiment, experimental conditions, and resulting data (including in situ thermal measurements and post-irradiation imaging of fracture) are provided in this work. LWR-equivalent powers ranging from 10 to 25 kW/m were tested using this apparatus. Cracking was visible at all power levels, with increasing cracking extent as the power level increased, although there was little difference in the cracking between the two highest-power tests, which had LWR-equivalent powers of 20 and 25 kW/m.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Battery Performance, Thermal, and Life Modeling for Southern California Edison (Cooperative Research and Development Final Report)

The objective of this project is to develop battery performance models, thermal models and life models for SCE to use in simulation and analysis of grid services involving energy storage. NREL will fit the models to three separate chemistries using test data provided by SCE. The dataset for each chemistry will include electrical, thermal and aging response to different temperatures and cycling conditions, measured under a variety of cell-level and module-level experiments described in SCE test protocol documents. Once tuned to a test dataset, the battery system model software will provide predictions of battery energy and power loss, and thus cycle and calendar life, for any energy storage grid service power profile of interest to SCE. The automated battery life modeling and simulation tool can also be applied to any other grid battery systems as long as necessary input data is available to accelerate battery model development and battery lifetime analysis.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-139: Meeting the Challenges of Quality Control in the TOPAS Monte Carlo Simulation Toolkit for Proton Therapy

Purpose: Monte Carlo particle transport simulation (MC) codes have become important tools in proton therapy and biology, both for research and practice. TOPAS is an MC toolkit serving users worldwide (213 licensed users at 95 institutions in 21 countries). It provides unprecedented ease in 4D placement of geometry components, beam sources and scoring through its user-friendly and reproducible parameter file interface. Quality control (QC) of stochastic simulation software is inherently difficult, and the versatility of TOPAS introduces additional challenges. But QC is vital as the TOPAS development team implements new features, addresses user feedback and reacts to upgrades of underlying software (i.e. Geant4). Methods: Whenever code is committed to our repository, over 50 separate module tests are automatically triggered via a continuous integration service. They check that the various module options execute successfully and that their results are statistically consistent with previous reference values. Prior to each software release, longer end-to-end tests automatically validate TOPAS against experimental data and a TOPAS benchmark. These include simulating multiple properties of spread-out Bragg peaks, validating nuclear models, and searching for differences in patient simulations. Results: Continuous integration has proven effective in catching regressions at the time they are introduced, particularly when implementing new features that involve refactoring code (e.g. multithreading and ntuple output). Code coverage statistics highlight untested portions of code and guide development of new tests. The various end-to-end tests demonstrate that TOPAS accurately describes the physics of proton therapy within clinical tolerances. Conclusion: The TOPAS QC strategy of frequent short tests and pre-release long tests has led to a more reliable tool. However, the versatility of TOPAS makes it difficult to predict how users might combine different modules, and so QC ultimately remains a partnership between the developer and the user. This work was funded by National Cancer Institute grant R01 CA 140735.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Commercial Building Stock Segmentation for Decarbonization Planning

This document discusses the development of a segmentation approach for the U.S. commercial building stock that is focused on identifying similarities that align with common decarbonization strategies. The resulting nine-segment approach primarily uses similarities in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, service water heating systems, and presence of cooking equipment to separate buildings into categories.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2024

Metal Organic Frameworks for Noble Gas Isotope Harvesting at FRIB (Final Technical Report)

This project was a collaborative effort between Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Michigan State University (MSU) to investigate the use of promising metal organic frameworks (MOFs) for radioactive noble gas capture, with a focus on harvesting exotic radiokryptons from FRIB. After screening several candidate materials, two MOFs were selected for testing: SIFSIX-3Cu and SBMOF-1. Further evaluation showed that although SIFSIX-3Cu has a high selectivity for Kr, SBMOF-1 is less sensitive to the humidity that is present in the FRIB harvesting system and is more readily integrated into the harvesting infrastructure. SBMOF-1 was then evaluated for temperature-dependent Kr and Xe uptake in order to determine the sorption enthalpy. The SBMOF-1 data led to the design of a noble gas capture system that will be fabricated and put into service for isotope harvesting at FRIB as part of a separate project.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2016

Application of Modular Design in Abatement of Fuel Element Debris (FED) Liquid Waste Stream - 16635

This paper provides a description of the processes applied within the Aqueous Discharge Abatement Plant (ADAP) at Bradwell nuclear power plant in the UK. This incorporates the Fuel Element Debris (FED) abatement plant and the Modular Active Effluent Treatment Plant (MAETP). These plants are housed in adjacent, but separate, structures and are inter-linked and share common services and control systems. The FED abatement plant, which has a shorter mission than MAETP, can be removed for decommissioning or redeployment without any impact to MAETP operation. ADAP treats aqueous waste streams generated during the ongoing decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) operations for release from the Bradwell Power Station. The plant is designed to receive and treat two major classes of liquids: 1. Slightly contaminated water from various D and D sources and collected rainwater from the power station, referred to as Aqueous Effluent (AE). 2. Dissolved fuel element debris solution. This comprises of contaminated magnesium alloy (generated during the stripping of external structures from spent Magnox fuel elements prior to shipment for reprocessing) which has been dissolved in nitric acid. All received wastes are treated to remove heavy metals and radioactive constituents prior to isolation, sampling, verification, and ultimately release to the Blackwater Estuary. The treatment consists of multiple processes including precipitation, filtration, adsorption and ion exchange carefully designed to remove targeted radionuclides and heavy metals. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2019

Fort Yukon wood Energy Program Wood Boiler Deployment (Final Report)

The Fort Yukon Gwitchyaa Zhee Corporation (GZ) worked with partners on the development of an Integrated Biomass Energy Program for Fort Yukon. This integrated approach linked sustainable forest management with an in- village for -profit wood harvest and delivery business to displace diesel energy with wood energy for heat and power. The program was based on the concept of ecological, economic and social sustainability with a goal of displacing as much diesel and fuel oil as is technically feasible and sustainable; essentially systematically converting a village to significant amounts of wood use. Additionally, GZ worked with the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) on the development of a rural power system upgrade (RPSU) project that replaced GZ’s existing antiquated diesel power plant and provided upgrades to the existing electrical distribution system. Due to the synergy of the two projects, the Biomass and RPSU projects were combined to provide improved operating efficiency, economy of scale and increased benefits to GZ, the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (CATG) and the community of Fort Yukon. The combined project is referred to as the Fort Yukon Combined heat and power (CHP) project. The purpose of the DOE Tribal Energy Program award was to support the preconstruction tasks and installation of wood boilers at the CATG clinic, and at the new GZ diesel power plant as part of an overall program to create a for- profit wood energy utility in Native Village of Fort Yukon. The CHP project provides biomass and diesel generation recovered heat via a new district heating system to the major commercial buildings in Fort Yukon. The CATG clinic will receive heat from a separate biomass boiler to their heating needs. The award from the Department of Energy (DOE) Tribal Energy Program was divided into two phases: Design/Permitting (phase 1) and Construction (phase 2). Phase 1 (Design & Permitting) is cost shared using State of Alaska Renewable Energy Funding (REF) funds through the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA). Phase 2 (Construction) was funded by DOE, AEA and US Department of Agriculture Rural Utility Service (USDA-RUS). Phase 1 of this grant, along with a separate grant from the Denali Commission provided funding for development of the wood delivery infrastructure necessary to support the CHP project. Under phase 2, This DOE grant supported final design of the boiler, bidding, purchase and transport of boilers, installation, technical support and engineering. The AEA and RUS grants supported permitting, final design, material and equipment purchase, and construction and installation of the new diesel power plant and district heating distribution system.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2018

Robotic Underwater Decontamination Services for Nuclear Applications-18464

Successful Underwater Robotic Decontamination Demonstrates Dose-Saving And Outage-Shortening Technology Diakont successfully provided underwater robotic decontamination services on a North American nuclear power plant's refueling cavity and dryer-separator pool in Spring 2017 using a new tool system. Historically, nuclear plant operators have conducted cleaning and decontamination of these surfaces manually, after draining water from the space. However manual decontamination is slow, and can result in excessive personnel dose exposure. The underwater robotic decontamination services present a vast improvement over manual decontamination because it reduces personnel dose exposure, reduces radwaste, doesn't impact plant chemistry, and doesn't risk inadvertently spreading contamination. Also the new decontamination method avoids the risk of personnel injury and component damage associated with hydrolasing. And by performing the decontamination robotically while the cavities are flooded, in many cases the critical path outage schedule can be shortened. Able to decontaminate horizontal, vertical, and curved surfaces, the decontamination tools easily navigate to areas within flooded cavities that are inaccessible to previous solutions, performing decontamination in parallel to other activities including fuel movement. Also, unlike other legacy solutions, the new tools do not require continuous use of an overhead crane or other method of suspension while performing the decontamination activities. The ROV-type decontamination tool attaches and drives along the cavity and component surfaces using a high-force, no-flow vortex generator, even in the presence of Residual Heat Removal (RHR) or shutdown cooling flow. Efficient, effective cleaning is performed using a rugged brushing action to detach the crud, while vacuuming it away at high flow rates to a submerged filter. At the Spring 2017 refueling outage, the decontamination services with the new methodology were so effective that no additional manual cavity decontamination was required after drain-down. Using the tool's ability to swim, attach, and crawl, field technicians decontaminated the majority of the surfaces designated by the plant operator. Preliminary surveys indicated that all contamination levels were reduced to <50 K dpm/100 cm{sup 2}, helping the utility meet their INPO/Industry collective radiation exposure goals. The new cleaning and decontamination services are ideal for servicing various underwater areas within nuclear power plants such as refueling cavities, BWR-6 drywell heads, spent fuel pools, cask loading pools and fuel transfer canals. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2021

A Low Cost SIPM Evaluation and Control Prototyping System including accurate bias voltage generation, leakage current measurement, and temperature control using Peltier cooling

We describe an electronics system to operate SIPMs in the laboratory. The system is comprised of a single channel amplifier board (SIPM Amp) and a 4-channel control board to which up to 4 SIPM Amp boards can be connected. The control board supplies a common low voltage power for the amplifiers. All channels feature individually regulated bias and Peltier power voltages, along withPt10K RTD readout. A graphical user interface allows control of the bias voltages, amplifier voltage, Peltier voltages, and also provides for readback of leakage currents and other voltages. The GUI app has a feedback loop to measure the SIPM temperature (with the PT10K) and generate correction voltages to the Peltier to regulate the temperature. The temperatures, which can be achieved by Peltier cooling depend on the thermal design of the setup, the practical limit being about 50C below ambient. The SIPM Amp. board is a small (3x5cm) PCB that has a single SIPM readout channel. The SIPM scan be surface mounted on the pcb or connected to a 2-pin 0.100" socket. The area around the SIPM footprint is thermally isolated by perforations in the PCB. The RTD is located inside the thermal break. Onboard is BV and LV filtering. The 10X amplifier is based on MiniCircuits' GALI-S66+ integrated circuit, tweaked for a 6V power. The amplifier was selected for a combination of high bandwidth, low noise, and low power. An accoupled amplifier output is connected to an SMA connector. For best operation of this inverting amplifier the output signal should be in the range of 0 to -1V.The Amplifier board is connected to the Control board with a 10-conductor 0.025" pitch ribbon cable, carrying all the services. Peltier power for currents more than 1A should use a separate 2-contact connector.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-304: Complex Multi-PTV Treatment Evaluation Using a Remotely Processed 3D Gel Dosimeter

Purpose: A new 3D gel dosimeter (ClearView™, Modus Medical Systems) was investigated for use as a QA tool for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) plans exhibiting high dose gradients and spatially separated treatment targets. The unique feature of this gel dosimeter is the remote processing service provided by Modus Medical Systems. Methods: The gel dosimeters were filled in either 10 cm diameter or 15 cm diameter clear plastic jars. The jars were then shipped in ice-cooled containers to our department for irradiation. Clinical SRS plans for treatment of multiple metastases and plans with simulated concave structures were applied to a CT scan of the gel dosimeter. The gel was irradiated in treatment position using modulated arcs and then returned in the cooled container for processing. The 3D gel dose was compared to the DICOM-RT dose from the treatment plan to assess dosimetric and geometric agreement. Results: There was no discernible difference between the planned and measured dose for dose gradients as high as 10%/mm, which was the highest gradient we evaluated. Geometric agreement for distant metastases separated by 6 cm was within 1.5 mm. Among three identically irradiated gels using a plan intended for nine metastases, the 3%/3mm gamma passing rate was 84.5% with a range of 14.7%, measured over the entire volume of the dosimeter. Regions of larger gamma values correlated with geometric offsets between the planned and measured data. Conclusion: The gel dosimeter exhibits the dosimetric and geometric characteristics necessary for 3D evaluation of treatment plan deliverability. The range of observed gamma passing rates suggests a high sensitivity to geometric registration. With proper management of geometric registration between planned and measured data, this service should enable a radiation oncology department to use 3D dosimetry in end-to-end testing or patient plan delivery QA without the expense of an in-house processing system.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

Broadband, High Efficiency OMT in E-Band

A high-performance, broadband E-Band orthomode transducer (OMT) was designed and fabricated for a dedicated frequency converter. Cross-polarized signals between 71 and 86 GHz, received in a TE 11 mode circular waveguide needed to be split into separate horizontal and vertical polarization channels. The purpose of the OMT is to service the 71–76 and 81–86 GHz licensed communication bands. The main goal of OMT design is maximized transmission across the design bandwidth. Every fraction of a dB lost before the first low noise amplifier is a direct loss in SNR for the overall system. Several different design approaches were simulated, and several OMT’s and ancillary components were built and tested. In the end, practical limitations determined the final path of the completed device. The final product performed several tenths of a dB better than commercially available devices and better than most reported in academic literature. Lessons learned included which construction techniques worked and did not work, as well as what compromises are acceptable.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2020

SPRUCE Plot-Level Water Table Data Assessments for Absolute Elevations and Height with Respect to Mean Hollows Beginning in 2015

This data set provides a record of the half-hourly automated water table depth data collected for 12 SPRUCE plots (4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, and 21) beginning during deep peat heating (DPH) in 2015 and continuing throughout the whole ecosystem warming (WEW) manipulations for the SPRUCE Project (Hanson et al. 2017). The data currently cover 2015-05-12 through 2024-12-31 and will be updated periodically throughout the duration of the SPRUCE project. Also provided are daily plot normalized data for water table depths with respect to mean hollow locations within each plot. The hollow referenced data provide the basis for the intercomparison of peat saturation or aeration across treatment plots. A limited data set for manual water table observations made periodically from 2015-2022 are also provided as a reference to the plot center automated observations. In August 2015, WEW was initiated at 5 warming levels (+0, +2. +4.5, +6.75 and +9 °C) with 2 plots per warming level. DPH measurements were underway before the initiation of WEW heating treatments and both are expected to operate through 2025. Elevated CO2 treatments were added in June 2016 (Enclosures 4, 10, 11, 16 and 19). All measurements were made at the 8.1-ha S1 bog forest site in northern Minnesota, 40 km north of Grand Rapids, in the USDA Forest Service Marcell Experimental Forest (MEF). This dataset contains three data files in comma separated (*.csv) format.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Recruiting Military Talent through Solar Ready Vets Training Partnerships Webinar

SkillBridge training programs provide opportunities for service members to gain valuable civilian work experience through career training prior to separation. Employers are invited to join this webinar hosted by Solar Energy Industries Association to learn more about these programs, featuring success stories from across the industry.

Cohen Hall, E'Lon↗

DOE OSTI2017

The new norms of food waste at the curb: Evidence-based policy tools to address benefits and barriers

Highlights: • Pairing social and technical innovations improves organic collection programs. • Supportive infrastructure significantly increases household food waste diversion. • Norm communication increases separation behavior and reduces dropout. •Model predicting-fit best behavior-change tools is partially supported. • Norms are most effective on population perceiving low benefits and barriers. - Abstract: Cities around the world are under increasing political pressure to develop organics collection programs (OCP) to curb the flow of food waste into landfills, reduce the associated greenhouse gases, and generate compost or biogas. While OCPs tend to focus on infrastructure, they often overlook the linchpin role that household behavior change plays in the success of OCPs. The current research used a longitudinal field experiment (n=370) to test both the effectiveness of a new curbside OCP and new social innovations intended to stimulate pro-environmental changes in household behavior. The findings suggest greater participation levels occur by implementing both new supportive infrastructure (i.e., curbside carts and collection services), and innovations that target the social aspects of waste (i.e., communicating social norms of separation). The data also provide an opportunity to test new model for predicting the most efficacious behavior-change interventions based on population profiles. The results provide some support for the model; reducing barriers (i.e., curbside carts and collection) tends to help all population profiles, but norm communication increases participation more for the hypothesized profile than for other sub-groups.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗