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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Verification and Validation of Flow Confinement Modeling using OpenFAST Source Panel Method

Blockage or flow confinement effects in scale wind and water turbine testing in experimental facilities, including wind and water tunnels and tow tanks, can significantly alter incident aerodynamic and hydrodynamic loads, turbine performance (thrust, torque, power output), and wake dynamics compared to unconfined conditions. As scale model tests are key sources of OpenFAST model validation measurements, directly modeling flow confinement and its effects in OpenFAST enables improved model validat

Kim, Dongyoung [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-↗
DOE OSTI2024

Pore architecture controls on mineral reactivity

Mineral dissolution rates measured in natural environments are much slower than those measured in laboratory settings. This project tested the hypothesis that the way fluid flows through rocks in natural systems creates areas where mineral dissolution is fast and areas where mineral dissolution is slow. This hypothesis was tested with a combination of laboratory experiments and numerical simulation. We demonstrated a separation of fluid flow pathways and rates of mineral dissolution in laboratory experiments for the first time using an experimental approach where we created synthetic rocks that have different ratios of connected and dead-end pathways for fluid flow. In laboratory experiments with higher proportions of dead-end pathways, the mineral dissolution rates were slower. We found that where fluid flows through connected pathways the continuous refreshing of fluid at the mineral surface creates conditions where dissolution is fast. In contrast, where fluid either flows slowly through poorly connected pathways or is stagnant in dead-end pathways, mineral dissolution is slow. The results from this project suggest that the overall slowing of rates of mineral dissolution is important when the proportion of dead-end pathways is greater than ~40%. This project informs our understanding of the way that fluids react with rocks in carbon dioxide sequestration and enhanced geothermal projects where fluids are purposefully injected into rocks for energy applications.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Vitis CI/CD & Containerization

Modern development flows that use tooling for automated building, testing, and deployment of software are becoming the norm for large scale software and hardware projects. These flows offer quite a few advantages that make them desirable, but when attempting to implement them for projects that use FPGAs, some complications can arise when attempting to integrate them with traditional FPGA toolchains and deployment workflows. In this poster, we present early our early efforts integrating the Vitis FPGA toolchain into a modern, Kuberentes and Github actions based CI/CD pipeline.

Hawks, Benjamin G. [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2021

Heavy Oil Polymer EOR in the Challenging Alaskan Arctic - It Works!

Under co-sponsorship of the US Department of Energy and Hilcorp Alaska LLC the first ever polymer field pilot commenced on 8/28/2018 in the Schrader Bluff heavy oil reservoir at the Milne Point Field on Alaska North Slope (ANS). The primary objective of the pilot is to prove the efficacy of polymer Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) to unlock the vast heavy oil resources on ANS. More than two and half years after startup, the polymer injection, supporting laboratory experiments and simulation studies steadily continue. The pilot started injecting hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM), at a concentration of 1,750 ppm to achieve a target viscosity of 45 cP, into the two horizontal injectors in the flood pattern. Production is monitored in the two horizontal producers. Based on laboratory measurements of polymer viscosity at reservoir conditions, the team decided to reduce polymer concentration to 1,200 ppm since July 2020 in an effort to control injection pressure and optimize polymer utilization. Quality control (QC) on the field ensures uniform polymer solution properties. Representative rock and fluid systems and test conditions are utilized in the corefloods on polymer retention, effect of injection water salinity, polymer loading, and their combinations on oil recovery. A history matched reservoir simulation model for forecasting oil recovery was developed on the basis of all the available field data. Field concerns related to the post-polymer breakthrough impact on flow assurance is addressed via specialized laboratory tests. Notwithstanding early operational disruptions and hydration issues, continuous polymer injection in both injectors has been achieved. To date, 950,000 lbs of polymer or 2 million barrels of polymer solution, equating to 13% of total pore volume (PV), has been placed in the flood pattern, serving as an effective indicator of adequate polymer injectivity. So far, the success of polymer EOR is evident from drastically reduced water cut in the producers, an estimated incremental 1,000 bopd over waterflood, and a favorable polymer utilization of 1.7 lbs/barrel of incremental oil. Polymer breakthrough was observed 26 months after the start of polymer injection. Main observations from corefloods are unusually high polymer retention values in some cases and a positive response to low salinity water. Although the heterogeneity in the flood pattern and exceptionally low water cut pose some challenges, persistent novel and justifiable simulation approaches have resulted in a robust history matched model. Experimental results on produced fluids treatment provide operational guidance for improved oil-water separation and mitigation of heater tube fouling. The ongoing success of the pilot is a key indicator of bringing the team ever closer to meeting the project’s primary objective. The encouraging results of the pilot is one of the drivers that has provided the impetus to apply polymer EOR throughout the Milne Point Field, which would increase oil recovery and extend the economic life of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. The scientific knowledge, including the many lessons learned from this pilot also has referential value for other potential heavy oil EOR projects throughout the world. The collected data, operational lessons learned, and the overall success of the pilot are summarized in the paper.

None, None↗
DOE OSTI2021

Subtask 2.6 – Optimization of Aerosol Mitigation Technology for Postcombustion CO 2 Capture

Growing concerns over the impact of CO 2 emissions from combustion sources on global climate change have prompted numerous research and development projects aimed at developing cost-effective technologies for CO 2 capture. One family of technologies being demonstrated at pilot and full scale globally is postcombustion CO 2 capture (PCCC) systems that employ amine-based solvents. The captured CO 2 can be compressed and permanently stored underground or used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The proximity of North Dakota’s lignite-fired fleet of power plants to potential CO 2 storage options creates a unique atmosphere for PCCC within the state. However, the aerosols present in lignite flue gas present a challenge for large-scale PCCC at North Dakota power plants. Aerosols can negatively impact the long-term performance of amine-based solvents for CO 2 capture. Amine-based solvents are volatile, and aerosols provide nucleation sites where amine vapors can condense. Because aerosols cannot be easily captured at the column outlet using conventional technologies, the amine-laden aerosols escape the system and lead to accelerated solvent losses. Moreover, aerosol components can chemically react with amines to form degradation products that can permanently deactivate the amine, cause fouling, and lead to hazardous emissions. Many of the elements that have been shown to catalyze solvent degradation are present in lignite coals and can exacerbate solvent replacement economics. Understanding this issue is critical to the implementation of solvent-based CO 2 capture systems as applied to lignite-fired generation systems. The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) designed and carried out this project to optimize aerosol mitigation technology for PCCC at a lignite-fired power plant. To meet the goal of this project, the following objectives were identified: Determine the effectiveness of a wet electrostatic precipitator (WESP) on collection of aerosols at a low-rank coal-fired power station. Determine the impact of aerosols on the efficiency and degradation products of amine-based carbon capture systems fired with low-rank fuels. Work was conducted at Minnkota Power Cooperative’s (MPC’s) Milton R. Young (MRY) Station Unit 2 using a slipstream of flue gas from the outlet of the plant’s flue gas desulfurization (FGD) unit. To gather initial data for sizing and specifying a WESP for this system, a temporary pilot-scale WESP was rented and installed on-site. Several different conditions were tested to examine the impact of flow rate, voltage, and current on WESP performance. The WESP was effective at removing large particulate (>200 nm) but caused an increase in fine particulate (<75 nm). Fine particulate material at the inlet and outlet of the WESP was collected, analyzed, and showed that crystalline sulfates carried over from the plant’s FGD unit were being converted to fine aerosols and SO 2 was being converted to SO 3 through the WESP. Additionally, the high moisture content of the flue gas stream at this sample location also contributed to an overall increase in aerosol mass under some of the test conditions. Using the results from the rented WESP, the project team installed a smaller-scale WESP upstream of the EERC’s slipstream CO 2 capture system. Flue gas was routed through a pilot-scale FGD unit to remove SO 2 to very low levels (~1 ppm) and then through a direct contact cooler (DCC) to further cool the gas and to remove moisture. The gas exiting the DCC was then routed through the new WESP before passing to the CO 2 absorber columns. Fluor’s amine-based solvent was used to scrub CO 2 from the slipstream through a set of two absorber columns. The rich solvent was regenerated in a stripper column by heating to drive off captured CO 2 . The system operated using a catch-and-release method where the CO 2 was separated to provide data on the process, but the captured CO 2 was released back into the host site stack. Aerosols and sulfur species were measured at multiple locations throughout the pilot-scale system. The inlet FGD and DCC removed much of the particulate matter and gaseous sulfur upstream of the WESP. With this configuration, the WESP achieved >95% particulate capture. The new WESP did not show any of the increases in SO 3 or other aerosol species that had been consistently observed with the larger-scale WESP installed immediately downstream of the plant’s full-scale FGD unit. Particulate samples captured and analyzed from the WESP inlet did not show any presence of crystalline sulfate materials, indicating that the pilot-scale FGD and DCC were efficient at reducing carryover from the plant’s full-scale FGD unit. A set of parametric tests were conducted on the new WESP to assess the impacts of flow rate, voltage, number of online WESP fields, and gas-phase sulfur content on aerosol and sulfur transformations. The results showed that the WESP performed similarly well at all sets of conditions. Sulfur and particulate matter exiting the WESP were further reduced through the absorber column as the amine-based solvent captured some of the residual contaminants. Solvent analysis showed that these species were slowly concentrating in the solvent over the duration of the test. When the WESP was taken offline and the sulfur slip through the FGD allowed to rise, the sulfate content in the solvent rose sharply, showing that the extra FGD and WESP were effective at reducing sulfate and cation uptake. This would be expected to extend amine-based solvent life by slowing the formation of heat-stable salts and other degradation products. This subtask was cofunded through the EERC–U.S. Department of Energy Joint Program on Research and Development for Fossil Energy-Related Resources Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FE0024233. Nonfederal funding was provided by the North Dakota Industrial Commission and MPC.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2024

Improving Cost and Efficiency of the Scalable Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Power System

The objective of this project was to design and develop a 20kW range small-scale solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) power system for applications such as data centers and commercial buildings. The original plan included a 5,000 hours demonstration and a Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) which were dropped as part of project termination. The original project plan was to use a stack with a cross-flow cell design which had previously been tested for 500 hours at a community college in Malta, NY. However, it was decided to move to the advanced R-SOFC co-flow cell developed under Department of Energy Award DE-FE0031971. The advanced cell design has the advantage of a larger active area for the same manufacturing footprint which results in fewer required cells for the same stack power, hence a higher volumetric power density (kW/L) and lower cost per kW than the original cross-flow cell design. A full SOFC system Simulink model was developed and calibrated with testing data from a fuel cell stack and BOP (balance of plant) components. The simulation results from the calibrated model showed an acceptable match with the experimental data. A structural analysis conducted for various load scenarios indicated no high stress areas for all spatial directions. Major electrical system components were acquired, built and successfully tested. System sensors were verified and validated against controls. Safety checks, a diagnostic check, PID tuning, and control software commissioning tasks were also conducted. The power electronics prototype was delivered and trial testing completed. Balance of Plant component testing and simulation work was conducted to characterize Reformer-Heat Exchanger heat transfer and backpressure and reformer catalyst methane conversion and product selectivity. Simulations were conducted to design the Anode and Cathode fluid passages and size the air-air and fuel-fuel heat exchangers. A Burner operation map was created from test data and the Anode Gas Recirculation blower was tested to evaluate its durability. The SOFC system used a horizontal style design where components sit directly on a casting with a direct connection to the skid. This design has efficient packaging and a small footprint with approximate dimensions of 750 mm x 700 mm x 1700 mm. An SOFC system was built and successfully tested at the Malta, NY facility The system for over 500 hours under load of which over 300 hours was at full load of 20 kW.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Thermal-hydraulic and Fuel Performance Scoping Studies of a Flowing Water Capsule in TREAT

The restart of the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility has provided a much needed capability for integral transient testing of nuclear fuel. This testing is necessary to qualify new fuel concepts such as those developed under the Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) program, increasing the burnup limit of light water reactor (LWR) fuels, or a variety of other programs under the Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC). The ATF campaign has been the main driver behind the development and implementation of a variety of capsules for TREAT experiments. The Separate-Effect Test Holder (SETH) was a dry capsule that enabled testing of ATF concepts under reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) heating conditions. Following SETH, the Static Environment Rodlet Transient Test Apparatus (SERTTA) was developed to enable RIA testing in a static water environment. In efforts to support the need for future Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) tests, the Transient Water Irradiation System for TREAT (TWIST) capsule has been developed that allows for water to drain from around the fuel rod and lower the pressure to simulate LOCA conditions. All these capsules that have been developed for LWR fuel testing all lack the capability for forced convective cooling which in some applications may limit their ability to test under prototypic conditions. A design and modeling effort has been started to modify the TWIST capsule by adding a flow tube and impeller that can create flowing coolant conditions for the fuel rod. RELAP5-3D and BISON models are being used to study the differences between RIA, LOCA, Anticipated Operational Occurrences (AOO), LWR power cycling, and other transient scenarios under flowing conditions capable in the flowing capsule and the current stagnant water capsules (SERTTA and TWIST). The scoping study will provide guidance on the needed capabilities for the flowing capsule and the limitations of the currently developed capsule for LWR testing in TREAT.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Single-phase, natural circulation annular flow measurements for cartridge loop irradiation experiments

The nuclear industry is increasingly considering cartridge-style experiments for irradiation testing of advanced reactor fuels and materials under flowing conditions. Cartridge loops do not require the extensive support infrastructure that are necessary for external flow loops and minimize the possibility of coolant solidification over the long distance from the reactor to the external facilities. However, there is a general lack of quality flow data for internally heated fluids in an annular configuration representative of a cartridge-type irradiation experiment, particularly one with natural circulation. To address this data need, a series of experiments was conducted to measure the natural circulation flow rates of pressurized water in a sealed, internally heated vessel with annular flow conditions that represent a molten salt or sodium cartridge loop. Temperatures and flow rates were measured under steady-state and transient conditions. Here, this paper describes the facility, methods, and results of the experiments, including the determination of nondimensional parameters. A simple 1D model of the natural convection flow rates agrees well with the experimental results. Applying this model to simulate a liquid salt cartridge experiment predicts that natural circulation flow might be able to provide liquid salt Reynolds numbers similar to those of some molten salt reactor concepts at relevant power densities.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Axenisation of oleaginous microalgal cultures via anoxic photosensitisation

Growing interest in sustainable food and biofuel research has necessitated high quality axenic oleaginous microalgal strains. Unfortunately, most strains available in culture banks contain commensal microbes such as bacteria and the default decontamination method involves antibiotic treatment which has begun to exacerbate the emergence of antibiotic resistance. To overcome this problem, anoxic photosensitisation was investigated as an alternate approach. Four oleaginous microalgal species (Tetradesmus obliquus, Desmodesmus armatus, Chlorella vulgaris and Nannochloropsis limnetica) were incubated in varying concentrations of Rose Bengal (0 μM, 1 μM, 3 μM or 9 μM) either in normal (oxic) or anoxic conditions, for 72 h under light (8.85 ± 0.4 W/m 2 ) in a specially designed heterotrophic growth complex (HGC) medium, followed by 72 h in standard Bold's Basal Medium (BBM). Commonly used antibiotics-based protocol was used as the control method. Post treatment, cell numbers and percentage populations were counted with Flow Cytometry, and viability was tested using standard plating methods using BBM and LB. Additionally, the contaminating microbes in the cultures were profiled using 16Ss rRNA sequencing. Anoxic conditions were able to significantly decrease bacterial content, albeit with an equally detrimental effect on the microalgal population. Although the responses differed between the microalgae, anoxic incubation along with Rose Bengal at 3 μM was able to completely decontaminate N. limnetica and C. vulgaris, while D. armatus and T. obliquus could be decontaminated with an additional streak-plating step. None of the cultures could be decontaminated using antibiotics treatment. These results suggest that axenisation of microalgal cultures was largely due to anoxy, that was synergistically enhanced by Rose Bengal at a concentration of ≥3 μM.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Mechanical and chemical properties of PVD and cold spray Cr-coatings on Zircaloy-4

In this paper, accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding materials aim to improve fuel reliability and safety during accident scenarios in water-cooled reactors. These ATF cladding should also perform comparable or better than the current zirconium alloy cladding under reactor normal operating conditions. Surface-modified Zircaloy-4 was produced by depositing a protective coating of chromium by two different coating techniques, Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) and Cold Spray (CS). The coating thickness, structure, composition, and mechanical properties of the coated Zircaloy were assessed with advanced materials characterization techniques. Results showed a strengthening effect of the Cr-coating, along with ~83% higher hardness compared to that of the Zircaloy-4 substrate. Surface topography and surface chemistry of the Cr-coated Zircaloy-4 were assessed with contact profilometry, atomic force microscopy, contact angle goniometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Deposited Cr-coating significantly improved surface wettability compared to the substrate Zircaloy-4. The formation of surface oxides on the coatings by prolonged exposure to ambient air showed a further increase in the hydrophobic behavior. Surface parameters and surface chemistry after flow boiling critical heat flux tests, conducted at atmospheric pressure, evidenced a slight increase in surface roughness with notable changes in wettability associated with the formation of surface oxides.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

A review on the sizing and selection of control valves for thermal hydraulics for reactor system applications

This study presents an overview regarding how to model/size, choose, and maintain control valves (CVs) for a reactor system thermal hydraulics experimentation—specifically simulating pipe break(s) and a loss of coolant accident (LOCA) analysis. In a thermal hydraulics test loop, CVs modulate fluid flow according to the control signal generated by the controller to control the process parameter. The selection of a CV in industrial applications involves many factors, including process diversity, safety, and reliability. Further, the key issues and challenges for performing proper mathematical modeling, installation, servicing, and calibration are also discussed for the benefit of operators and end-users. Additionally, this research includes case studies illustrating major plant-level accidents associated with the malfunctioning of valves. Therefore, the study will serve as a knowledge base or reference guide for young professionals and operators who wish to better understand process control applications.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Achieving superior carbon transfer efficiency and pH control using membrane carbonation with a wide range of CO 2 contents for the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi

The economic viability of microalgal-derived products relies on rapid CO 2 transfer in a cost-effective manner. Many industrial gas streams contain concentrated CO 2 that, if converted to useful products, would lower greenhouse gas emissions and valorize the wasted CO 2 . Membrane carbonation (MC) uses non-porous hollow-fiber gas-transfer membranes to deliver CO 2 without bubble formation, which makes it possible to achieve a high carbon-transfer efficiency (CTE). However, inert gasses in the industrial streams (e.g., N 2 , O 2 , and H 2 O) can significantly lower the CO 2 -delivery rate. The means to overcome the buildup of inert gases in the membrane lumen is to manage the distal end of the membranes to sweep out inert gases while not wasting significant CO 2 . A MC-venting strategy was evaluated for CO 2 inputs from 5% to 100%. Abiotic tests using a restricted exit flow could achieve >95% CTE abiotic for industrial CO 2 streams. When integrated with semi-continuous cultivation of a marine coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi , CO 2 delivery and venting were on-demand based on a pH set points and pH-actuated feed and venting valves. MC using the venting strategy achieved 100% CTE biotic when delivering 100% and 50% CO 2 , which was better than 50% CTE biotic obtained from pH-controlled sparging of 100% CO 2 -sparging. E. huxleyi consistently fixed ~80% of the delivered CO 2 into biomass, and the remaining ~20% to calcite coccoliths. Finally, the compact size of MC modules, stable pH control, and no shear forces from bubble agitation during the CO 2 delivery made MC an ideal match for cultivation of coccolithophores, which are sensitive to shear forces and pH fluctuations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Solving gyrokinetic systems with higher-order time dependence

We discuss theoretical and numerical aspects of gyrokinetics as a Lagrangian field theory when the field perturbation is introduced into the symplectic part. A consequence is that the field equations and particle equations of motion in general depend on the time derivatives of the field. The most well-known example is when the parallel vector potential is introduced as a perturbation, where a time derivative of the field arises only in the equations of motion, so an explicit equation for the fields may still be written. We will consider the conceptually more problematic case where the time-dependent fields appear in both the field equations and equations of motion, but where the additional term in the field equations is formally small. The conceptual issues were described by Burby (J. Plasma Phys., vol. 82 (3), 2016, 905820304): these terms lead to apparent additional degrees of freedom to the problem, so that the electric field now requires an initial condition, which is not required in low-frequency (Darwin) Vlasov–Maxwell equations. Also, the small terms in the Euler–Lagrange equations are a singular perturbation, and these two issues are interlinked. For well-behaved problems the apparent additional degrees of freedom are spurious, and the physically relevant solution may be directly identified. Because we needed to assume that the system is well behaved for small perturbations when deriving gyrokinetic theory, we must continue to assume that when solving it, and the physical solutions are thus the regular ones. The spurious nature of the singular degrees of freedom may also be seen by changing coordinate systems so the varying field appears only in the Hamiltonian. We then describe how methods appropriate for singular perturbation theory may be used to solve these asymptotic equations numerically. We then describe a proof-of-principle implementation of these methods for an electrostatic strong-flow gyrokinetic system; two basic test cases are presented to illustrate code functionality.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Water Energy Resource Innovation on the Cavitation Characteristics

The main purpose of this study is to numerically correlate the amount of generated vapor over a hydrofoil to the lift and drag coefficients acting on it. As such, cavitation characteristics were investigated of a hydrofoil in the cavitating, sub-cavitating, and non-cavitating flows for different angles of attacks (AoA) with the high upstream flow velocity. The hydrofoil was tested in a square water tunnel with water entering the tunnel at various velocities for each AoA ranges from 9.1 m/s to 12.2 m/s. It was found that lift and drag forces acting on the hydrofoil follow the trend of the experimental data quite closely. While the cavitation can be identified by a unique number (averaged vapor volume fraction), the work done created an inverse correlation between this number and the cavitation number at the same angle of attack. The lift force declines with the increase in the vapor content on the hydrofoil surface, meanwhile the drag force peaks at certain vapor volume fraction, and then, a huge reduction occurs with the considerable decrease in the corresponding cavitation number. A fourth-order correlation generated between the lift to drag (L/D) and the cavitation number (σ). It was found the lift-to-drag ratio decreases by the formation of the cavitation over the hydrofoil, thus causing a drop in the efficiency of the turbomachines.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

DAISY Variant and Tether Tests, Admirality Inlet, WA

Acoustic data and metadata from Drifting Acoustic Instrumentation SYstem (DAISY) testing in Admiralty Inlet (connecting Puget Sound to the Strait of San Juan de Fuca) in July 2022. Tests focused on occurrences of flow noise for three hydrophone package variants and on the potential for alternative tether materials.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2022

PELICAN Status Report for Year 2021

The Pressure Drop Experimental Loop for Investigations of Core Assemblies in Advanced Nuclear Reactors, PELICAN, is a novel experimental facility designed and constructed to recreate the prototypic full scale hydraulic flow conditions for the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) currently under development by the U.S. Department of Energy. To support VTR design efforts, PELICAN is used to replicate VTR’s primary heat transport system (PHTS) in the core assembly region. The measurement objectives for data generated from this test facility are to mimic the prototypic VTR assembly and to meet the validation needs for code calculations and simulations of the reference design for the VTR core. These objectives focus on the need to validate pressure drop results across the various segments of the fuel assembly, including the axial reflectors, fuel, and transition regions, as they relate directly to the pumping power and safety behavior of the reactor. In the following sections, the major milestones for the experimental work performed on PELICAN over the calendar year (CY) 2021 are presented. In the next section, we discuss the assembly and shakedown testing of the facility. In Section 3, an analysis of the errors in the major measurements is performed. In Section 4 and 5 we present the results from the first set of test articles placed inside the loop. The design of the remaining test articles as part of the full assembly are shown in Section 6 and the conclusion and path forward for the following year, CY22 is given in the final section.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

A novel flow cell for optical particle analyzers—application to measurements of Malvern Insitec under high pressure and temperature

A flow cell is a necessary measurement interface for some important optical analyzers. In our application of the flow cell, we utilize a state-of-the-art optical analyzer (Malvern Insitec) to measure particle size distribution and concentration in-situ in a sampled flow from a novel pressurized oxygen-fuel combustion process. However, since this sampling flow is a flow of moist flue gas under high temperature and pressure, and the flow contains particles and corrosive acid gases, it is an extreme challenge to obtain a flow cell with a high optical quality that does not perturb the measurement. To address this challenge, we propose a new design for an optical flow cell. By using a unique flow field in the proposed flow cell, the measurement zone can be well defined by the sampling flow, minimizing the influence of purge flow. To demonstrate this flow cell, we have built a test system, and conduct measurements utilizing polydisperse-particle standards (10-100 µm and 1-10 µm). The results reveal that the optical windows are well protected by the purge flow field, without risk of deposition from the sampling flow, and the Malvern Insitec can measure the particle size distribution by using this flow cell, without generating sample bias.

Cheng, Mao↗