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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 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Moisture ingress in commercial steel drums: Water content determination, diffusion modelling and predicted permeation rates

Commercial steel drums underpin the global economy, playing a pivotal role in the storage and transportation of critical materials. Transported and stored materials, such as food, chemical and nuclear waste, can be sensitive to ambient conditions, particularly moisture that can enhance negative effects such as corrosion and material degradation. Although international standards and regulations are in place for the qualification of steel drums, there are no current testing requirements, established limits or boundaries for the permeation of moisture into the drums during transportation or storage. This work aims to provide insights into the moisture ingress over time into properly sealed steel drums and provides estimated moisture ingress rates over time through extrapolation. Water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) measurements through the gasket material at 10–40°C were 0.11–2.1 g/m 2 /day resulting in a permeation activation energy of 30.2 kJ/mol. Water sorption measurements and Karl Fischer titration (KFT) on ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) gasket material revealed a decrease in equilibrium moisture saturation with increasing temperature. KFT measurements also revealed the presence of moisture within the adhesive and drum wall after exposure to ambient conditions. KFT and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) show that moisture will desorb from the EPDM and drum wall after exposure to desiccating conditions, although a minimal amount of moisture will remain present. When sealed to the manufacturer's recommendations, the steel drums are effective in minimizing moisture ingress. In conclusion, in sealed empty drums, moisture ingress rates for 19-L drums were 0.4–1.5 mg/day at 25°C 15% relative humidity (RH) and increased to 7.1–8.8 mg/day at 40°C 90% RH, and moisture ingress rates for 210-L drums were 2.5 and 3.5 mg/day at field deployment conditions of 15.5°C 51.5% RH and 23°C 40% RH, respectively.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Glass Property-Composition Models for Support of Hanford WTP LAW Facility Operation

Current plans for the River Protection Project envision starting to vitrifying low-activity waste (LAW) by 2023 using a Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) approach and subsequently using a full-pretreatment approach. The Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) LAW Facility will be operated and controlled using a LAW glass formulation algorithm (GFA), which requires several inputs based on research and development results. LAW glass property-composition models for several product quality and processing properties are key inputs for the LAW GFA. It is envisioned that the preliminary LAW GFA discussed by Kim and Vienna (2012) will be used for commissioning and initial radioactive operations of the WTP LAW Facility under Bechtel National, Inc. using the DFLAW approach. Then, an updated LAW GFA will be developed for implementation by the WTP operating contractor that takes over after WTP LAW Facility commissioning. This report documents the enhanced LAW glass property-composition models developed for use in the updated LAW GFA. The properties for which models were developed include Product Consistency Test (PCT) response, Vapor Hydration Test (VHT) response, viscosity at 1150 °C, electrical conductivity at 1150 °C, melter SO3 tolerance at 1150 °C, and K-3 refractory corrosion at 1208 °C. Table S.1 lists the tables in this report that contain the recommended models for each of these properties. The model types recommended include partial quadratic mixture (PQM) models for viscosity, electrical conductivity, melter SO 3 tolerance and K-3 corrosion, bias corrected PQM model (bcPQM) for PCT, and logistic PQM model for VHT. The fits of model and validation subsets were found to be well predicted by the recommended models.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

TCF - Sustainable Well Cement for Geothermal, Thermal Recovery, and Carbon Storage wells

Primary cementing is the most important operation performed on a subterranean well. Cement, placed in the annulus between the casing and the formations, serves as a hydraulic seal preventing fluids and gas migrations, protecting steel casing from corrosion, and supporting the well structure. Poor cementing jobs can be directly responsible for wells not reaching their full capacity, casing corrosion, compromised well integrity and, in the worst-case scenarios, well collapse. Geothermal, thermal recovery, and carbon storage wells offer environments that are especially difficult for cements to survive while the required lifespan of these wells can be years. In these wells currently used cements cannot provide durable well integrity, and new solutions are necessary. The necessity of stabilizing the electric grid, increasing its flexibility, and providing energy on demand will further expand the market of durable cement solutions for applications in high-temperature underground reservoir thermal energy storage wells (HT RTES). The design challenges of special cement systems for such wells originate from chemistry limitations of currently used well cements, aggressive environments, temperature and repeated shock conditions associated with them, and very weak formations that are not uncommon in these wells. During the last 70 years the most common systems for thermal-well construction have been Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) (absolute majority of the wells), silica-lime system, and high aluminum cement-containing formulations. The major issues of calcium-silicate hydrates, that form during the hydration of OPC resulting in hardened material, are their poor chemical resistance to acids due to the calcium interactions with acid anions followed by its eventual dissolution, even in mild acids, such as carbonic acid from CO 2 dissolution, and inadequate bonding to the steel causing serious casing corrosion problems (Sugama & Pyatina, 2019). Performance of OPC-based cement may be significantly improved with organic additives; however, those are limited by their temperature stability. An alternative to calcium-silicate cement was developed by BNL and commercialized by Halliburton as ThermaLock TM cement. Calcium-aluminate-phosphate-based chemistry of the material allowed overcoming acid-resistance problems of OPC, especially in CO 2 -rich geothermal environments. In 2012-2015, building upon this experience, BNL developed Thermal Shock Resistant Cement (TSRC) with the support of Geothermal Technology Office (GTO) of DOE. TSRC has high-temperature stable chemistry, superior properties of cement-metal casing bond and corrosion protection (4-times better than currently used OPC-based formulation), significantly outperforms common well-cements in thermal-shock tests, has self-healing properties, and like ThermaLock TM is CO 2 resistant incorporating carbonate ions into stable hydrates (Gill et al., 2012).

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Effect of Water Chemistry on Crack Growth Rate in Neutron Irradiated X-750 and XM-19

The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) National Science User Facility (NSUF) was used to study the effect of neutron damage on crack growth rates (CGR) under simulated boiling water reactor (BWR) water chemistry conditions using a fast neutron spectrum to accelerate the damage process. Nickel based Alloy X-750 and XM-19 were irradiated in the ATR center flux trap (CFT), with this experiment marking the first civilian project to utilize this position within the reactor. 0.4T-CT specimens were used to study crack growth rates for two sample fluences (~1.9 x 1020 n/cm2 and ~9.5 x 1020 n/cm2, E > 1MeV)) in both normal water chemistry (NWC) at 2.5 ppm O2 and hydrogen water chemistry (HWC) at ~80 ppb H2. CGR testing was conducted at a temperature of 288 °C. A decrease in CGR was observed for both alloys with the average ratio (CGR in NWC/CGR in HWC) being a factor of 281 for the XM-19 samples and a factor of 27.8 for the X-750 samples. Observed CGRs in this study showed little difference compared to non-irradiated samples (the non-irradiated XM-19 was 20% cold worked), suggesting limited sensitivity of these susceptible alloys to irradiation effects. Detailed results of CGR response to varying environmental electrochemical potential (ECP) and water purity will be presented in the context of crack growth mitigation in different water chemistries and the change in material behavior relative to non-irradiated samples of the material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Effect of Water Chemistry on Crack Growth Rates in Neutron Irradiated X-750 and XM-19

The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) National Science User Facility (NSUF) was used to study the effect of neutron damage on crack growth rates (CGR) under simulated boiling water reactor (BWR) water chemistry conditions using a fast neutron spectrum to accelerate the damage process. Nickel based Alloy X-750 and XM-19 were irradiated in the ATR center flux trap (CFT), with this experiment marking the first civilian project to utilize this position within the reactor. 0.4T-CT specimens were used to study crack growth rates for two sample fluences (~1.9 x 1020 n/cm2 and ~9.5 x 1020 n/cm2, E > 1MeV) in both normal water chemistry (NWC) at 2.5 ppm O2 and hydrogen water chemistry (HWC) at ~80 ppb H2. A decrease in CGR was observed with HWC for both alloys with the average ratio (CGR in NWC/CGR in HWC) being a factor of 281 for the XM-19 samples and a factor of 27.8 for the X-750 samples. Observed CGRs in this study showed little difference compared to non-irradiated samples (the non-irradiated XM-19 was 20% cold worked), suggesting limited sensitivity of these susceptible alloys to irradiation effects. The CGR response to varying environmental electrochemical potential (ECP) and water purity will be presented.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Cathodic Protection Modeling for Hanford Underground Double-Shell Tank Farms

Hanford stores millions of gallons of radioactive and chemically hazardous waste from the production of weapon materials in tank farms consisting of underground carbon-steel storage tanks surrounded by reinforced concrete. Six of these Hanford tank farms use double-shell storage tanks (DSTs). The DST farms were constructed from 1968 to 1986 with a planned 40–50 year design life, so some are already operating beyond their initial life expectancy. Ultrasonic testing (UT) has indicated significant thinning on the bottom of the secondary (outer) liner of these tanks, believed to arise from groundwater intrusion driving concrete side corrosion. There is no direct access to the steel/concrete interface between the tank and the concrete pad, making it difficult to apply a chemical-based mitigation strategy or to conduct repairs, but cathodic protection (CP) is a possible method to inhibit further concrete-side corrosion. Hanford already uses CP to protect below grade steel piping within the tank farms and connected to the tanks, but this system was not designed to protect the tank bottoms. CP design must account for the structures surrounding the DSTs, including the steel reinforcing bars (rebar) within the concrete pad and vault, various process lines, and the existing CP system. In this study, finite element analysis (FEA) modeling was carried out to simulate CP protection of 1) a single tank and CP anode to develop options for modeling the rebar and to compare to a simpler circuit model and 2) the entire Hanford AN tank farm as a representative example consisting of seven tanks, associated piping, and both existing and new CP anodes. Both circuit and FEA models predict that significant protective current could be delivered to the bottoms of the tanks with the addition of tank-protection anodes below the depth of the tanks. Simulations with only the existing pipe-protection anodes active confirmed that only a very small current to the tank bottoms is predicted under present conditions. Multiple simplified representations of the dome and wall rebar were tested to reduce the computational complexity of the tank-farm simulations, resulting in modeling the rebar as edge elements with a prescribed effective circumference that matches the real rebar surface area. The geometry of the rebar is also simplified into horizontal hoops around the tank walls and radial rebar over the dome with increased effective circumference to retain the target surface area. This simplification was found to greatly reduce the complexity and solution time of the models without large changes in current distributions, especially to the tank bottom. A range of values were tested for model parameters such as soil and concrete resistivities and polarization resistance to investigate their impact on the current and electric potential distributions. Depending on the parameters used, FEA simulations predict some risk of overprotection, particularly on the piping system; since overprotection can also lead to surface damage associated with hydrogen gas generation at the interface (e.g. hydrogen embrittlement or damage to coatings), this needs to be considered when refining the design of the new CP system. Comparison between the FEA models and the circuit model representation demonstrated that the circuit model could not match the predicted FEA current distribution, even when using the exact same surface areas. This discrepancy appeared to be at least partly attributable to the impact of the relative positions of the tank components and anodes to each other and to the ground surface. The FEA model accounts for the relative positions since it solves the governing equations in three dimensions, but the circuit model cannot account for the positioning. In particular, the circuit model underpredicts the current to the tank bottom and overpredicts the current to the dome compared to FEA for the baseline geometry. The FEA models omitted the electrically isolated rebar in the bottom concrete slab. However, a circuit based stray current model estimated that only 2.1% of the total current through the slab would stray into the rebar, corresponding to ~0.21 A for a target current density of 2 mA/ft2 to the tank bottom. The estimated corrosion driven by this amount of stray current is predicted to yield a lifetime of >400 years for the minimum rebar diameter, assuming an acceptable cross-section area loss of 10%.

d'Entremont, Anna [Savannah River National Laborat↗
DOE OSTI2023

Investigation of the Hydrogen Embrittlement of API 5L Natural Gas Pipeline Steels

Hydrogen ions produced during corrosion or through hydrogen blending into natural gas pipelines can lead to the degradation of ductility of metals used in these transmission pipelines. The effect of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of pipeline steels was studied for three grades of API 5L steels: X56, X65, and X100. These steels are either commonly used in or considered for use in natural gas transmission pipelines which are being considered for use in hydrogen blending. These steels were subjected to constant strain rate tensile testing after charging with electrochemically generated hydrogen. This presentation reports on work to extend the life of the natural gas pipeline network via understanding the effect of hydrogen embrittlement induced by corrosion processes.

Teeter, Lucas↗
DOE OSTI2024

Feasibility Study for Cathodic Protection of Waste Tanks at Hanford

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation site contains approximately 211 million liters of radioactive and chemically hazardous waste arising from nuclear weapons production, beginning with World War II, and continuing through the Cold War. The waste is stored in 177 carbon-steel underground storage tanks, of which 149 are single-shell tanks (SSTs) and the remaining are double-shell tanks (DSTs). The mission of an ongoing River Protection Project is to retrieve the waste from the underground storage tanks and then treat and immobilize (i.e., vitrify) it for disposal. Waste from the older SSTs is being progressively retrieved into the newer DSTs for storage pending treatment, immobilization, and disposal. Waste chemistry controls are in place to mitigate general corrosion, pitting corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and minimize corrosion risks to the carbon steel tank liners of DST at the Hanford Site. The chemistry control program focuses on preserving liner integrity while balancing the need for caustic/nitrite additions that have large downstream impacts on vitrification. Some of the DSTs store salt cake or sludge waste layers contain out-of-specification interstitial liquids that contact the primary tank bottom or sidewall. Remediation of such layers through chemical additions is not practical. At the present time, the most significant leak integrity concern at Hanford is for corrosion of the tank bottoms of DSTs where the solids layer is out of specification because of hydroxide ion depletion and consequently, pH values that are less than 12. Cathodic protection (CP) has been proposed as a possible way to protect the liners of such tanks against corrosion. The objective of this project was to investigate the feasibility of applying CP to Hanford DSTs to mitigate internal corrosion of the carbon steel tank primary liners. The scope of the project included (1) a literature review on the application of CP to storage tank systems, in general, and to waste tanks at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and Hanford, (2) a review of the finite element analysis (FEA) model recently developed to evaluate potentials for a DST, and (3) the development of a boundary element analysis (BEA) model for CP for a DST. Tank AN-107, one of the Hanford DSTs, was selected for this work because (1) the bottommost waste layer in the tank is out-of-specification, and (2) electrochemical and resistivity data, based on recent waste sampling and testing, are available for this tank. The overarching conclusion of this study is that, based on the available information, it is feasible to apply CP to mitigate internal corrosion of the primary liners of the Hanford DSTs. However, significant additional information and work are required before a CP system can be designed. Recommendations for next steps in the design of the CP system will be presented.

WIERSMA, BRUCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

High Temperature Ternary Chloride Molten Salt Pump

This work investigates the design criteria considering thermal, structural, and material selection of a ternary chloride (MgCl2-NaCl-KCl) molten salt pump that is capable of running at temperatures above 720 °C. In this work, preliminary testing of salt-wetted hydrodynamic bearings was done to investigate different material pairings including Colmonoy grades, Stellite grades, and a novel Nickel Tungsten Carbide alloy (HybrimetTM NiWC3b) used as a High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) coating. The coating has shown to withstand the corrosive nature of the molten salt. The pump wetted components are made of Inconel 625 and features a carbon ring seal (CIRPAC Seal) flooded with a N2 gas flow on the overhead to keep salt vapors from interacting with the external ambient air. A comprehensive pump test program has been completed. Over 90 hours run time pumping hot chloride salts at temperatures up to 720 °C in which enough data was captured to produce performance curves at 3 different operating speeds. This research showcases a promising design for use in the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Gen 3 liquid-pathway and sets the ground for further development and use of the HybrimetTM NiWC3b as a competitive alternative to available superalloys.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Overview of On-Line Optical Measurements at High Pressure for Flue Gases, Particulates and Acid-dew Point of Pressurized Oxy-Combustion

Optical flow cells are critical measurement interfaces, yet sampling under harsh conditions — high pressure, high temperature, particles, moisture, or corrosive gases — makes it difficult to maintain optical quality without perturbing the measurement. To address this challenge, a new flow cell was developed using a laminar coaxial flow field that separates the purge and sample flows. A dedicated test system was built to evaluate particle size distribution (PSD) measurements using a Malvern Panalytical Insitec analyzer. Results demonstrated that the sample flow alone defines the measurement zone, while the purge flow effectively shields the optical windows from deposition, eliminating sampling bias. The flow cell enables reliable PSD measurement under high pressure and temperature in moist, corrosive environments. As a key demonstration, the instrument was successfully deployed for on-line PSD measurement of flue gas from a 100 kWth pressurized oxy-coal combustor at 15 bara.

Cheng, Mao↗
DOE OSTI2021

Adsorption of Iodine on Metal Coupons in Humid and Dry Environments

In this study, five different metal coupons were evaluated for gaseous iodine [I2(g)] adsorption including two stainless steels (i.e., SS304 and SS316), two Inconel® alloys (i.e., 625 and 718) and pure Ni (i.e., Ni-200) within a dynamic flow-through system where temperature, iodine concentration, flow rate, atmosphere, and relative humidity were controlled. Humidity was shown to be critical to iodine adsorption on SS304 and SS316 and Ni-200 at ambient temperatures. The results presented herein suggest that a moisture mediated reaction is occurring. However, higher humidity levels decrease the adsorption, suggesting an ideal range of humidity for highest corrosion. A comparison of the five metal substrates showed the highest I2(g) adsorption in the following descending order Ni-200 > SS304 > SS316 >718>625.The 625 and 718 Inconel alloys were fairly inert to iodine adsorption under the conditions tested. Characterization by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction of the Ni-200 coupon indicates that NiI2 is formed and flakes off the surface as a black powder. The SS304 and SS316 coupons showed evidence of extensive reactions with I2(g) and formed a much more deliquescent corrosion product, which reacted with air when removed from the flow-through system for weighing on the analytical balance. These findings assist in predicting iodine adsorption behavior on a variety of metal surfaces under various conditions.

Beck, Chelsie L.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Effect of Thermal Aging on Microstructure and Stress Corrosion Cracking Behavior of an Alloy 152 1st Layer Butter Weldment

Nickel-based Alloy 690 and the associated weld Alloys 52 and 152 are typically used for nozzle penetrations in replacement heads for pressurized water reactor (PWR) vessels, because of their excellent overall resistance to general corrosion and environmental degradation, primarily stress corrosion cracking (SCC). However, many of the existing PWRs are expected to operate for 40- 80 years. Likewise, water-cooled small modular reactors (SMRs) will use Ni-Cr alloys and are expected to receive initial operating licenses for 60 years. Hence, the thermal stability of Ni-Cr alloys is critical for the long-term performance of both existing and advanced nuclear power plants, and possibly spent fuel storage containers. The objective of this research is to understand the microstructural changes occurring in high-Cr, Ni-based Alloy 152 weldments during long time exposure to the reactor operating temperatures, and the effect of these changes on the service performance. One area of particular concern is the potential for long range ordering (LRO), i.e. formation of the intermetallic Ni2Cr phase under prolonged exposure to reactor temperatures and/or irradiation, which can increase strength, decrease ductility, and cause dimensional changes or lead to in-service embrittlement of components made with these alloys. Hence, this research focused on the microstructural evolution and the SCC response of Alloy 152 under accelerated thermal aging. The materials studied involved three heats of Alloy 152 used to produce a dissimilar metal weld (DMW) joining an Alloy 690 plate to an Alloy 533 low alloy steel (LAS) plate, thermally aged at three different temperatures (370°C, 400°C and 450°C) for different durations up to 75,000h (equivalent to 60 years of reactor service). The microstructural characterization by means of synchrotron X-ray conducted in small, 0.2 mm - step line scans in the high-deformation regions of the weld root – covering areas spanning from the weld heat affected zone (HAZ) in Alloy 690 to the weld and weld butter on LAS - did not show evidence of LRO in any of the three Alloy 152 heats aged at 370°C and 450°C to an equivalent of 60 years of service. However, the first weld butter layer has high levels of deformation and is highly susceptible to SCC even in its non-aged condition. Nanohardness testing confirmed the extreme hardening with aging (ΔHV ≅ 100) at two locations within this weldment. In absence of LRO, hardening is suspected to be due to thermally-induced Cr carbide precipitation and coarsening. Testing in a primary water environment of the 1st layer of Alloy 152 weld butter aged at 370°C to a 60-year service equivalent revealed a fatigue and corrosion fatigue crack growth responses similar to those measured on the un-aged alloys. Similarly, the SCC CGR response of the aged weld butter does not appear to show a deterioration in performance, however, the difficult-to-test weldment geometry may affect the test results.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Hawai‘i National Marine Renewable Energy Center (HINMREC)

The Hawaii National Marine Renewable Energy Center (HINMREC) was established to facilitate the commercialization of wave energy converter (WEC) devices, and to accelerate development and testing of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technologies. Housed at the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) of the University of Hawaii (UH), this program started with execution of the contract between the US Department of Energy (DOE) and UH in March 2009, and activities ran through the end of the project in September 2019. The DOE tasked HINMREC with facilitating and accelerating the build-out of the Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site (WETS), the nation’s first grid-connected open water wave energy conversion test facility, located off Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) in Kaneohe, on the island of Oahu. WETS was expanded from an existing test berth at 30m water depth to include test berths at 60m and 80m water depths. In recognition of the high costs associated with at-sea testing and evaluation of WEC devices, it was deemed imperative that HINMREC seek ways to reduce costs to developers by providing key research support to these early-stage technologies. WETS and HINMREC’s support allowed development of wave energy technology by providing a testing infrastructure that allows technology developers to test, demonstrate and evaluate their WEC devices, and generate data in order to advance WEC designs toward commercial readiness. HINMREC’s roles have included support in the establishment of the full site, including of wave resource characterization and site survey, followed by the essential roles of independent WEC device power performance assessment and environmental monitoring in support of deployed pre-commercial WECs. This DOE-funded work transitioned effectively to continue Navy-funded tasks for OTEC development, and activities at WETS, now under Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) funding. A secondary objective in the establishment of HINMREC was to assist the private sector in moving OTEC systems beyond proof-of-concept to pre-commercialization, primarily focused on system and component engineering, and local and global investigations into the potential environmental impacts of OTEC systems. HINMREC was tasked with maintaining high-resolution models of ocean thermal resources and the potential sustainable power output of OTEC systems. Ongoing tests begun previously under Navy funding at the OTEC Heat Exchangers (HXs) Test Facility at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA), in Kona on Hawaii Island, have been continued to identify cost-effective aluminum alloys for use in OTEC systems operating in the corrosive marine environment.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2021

An experimental study on dehumidification and regeneration performance of a new nonporous membrane-based heat and mass exchanger using an ionic liquid desiccant

As a promising alternative to inefficient vapor-compression-based air conditioning, liquid desiccant dehumidification uses a liquid desiccant in contact with the humid air absorbing the moisture. However, it has not gained much market share due to the issues related to the carryover, corrosion, fouling, and crystallization of liquid desiccant. The research has developed a new membrane-based exchanger, which uses a non-corrosive ionic liquid desiccant and nonporous tubular membranes to address these issues. As the second generation of the prototype, the new exchanger was tested at various operating conditions. According to the experimental data, when it is used in the dehumidification loop, the new membrane-based exchanger achieves a specific vapor transportation rate of 778.6 g/(h–m 2 ) and an average water vapor flux of 0.316 g/(h-m 2 -Pa), which is a significant improvement compared with the previous designs using nonporous membranes. It also achieved a comparable or even better dehumidification performance compared with the dehumidifiers that use porous membrane and conventional liquid desiccants. However, the regeneration performance is not as good as its dehumidification. It is mainly caused by the high operating temperature required in the regeneration loop. The experimental data and findings provide first-hand experimental data and enhance the understanding of advanced membrane-based ionic liquid desiccant systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Glass Property-Composition Models for Support of Hanford WTP LAW Facility Operation

Current plans for the River Protection Project envision starting to vitrifying low-activity waste (LAW) by 2023 using a Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) approach and subsequently using a full-pretreatment approach. The Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) LAW Facility will be operated and controlled using a LAW glass formulation algorithm (GFA), which requires several inputs based on research and development results. LAW glass property-composition models for several product quality and processing properties are key inputs for the LAW GFA. It is envisioned that the preliminary LAW GFA discussed by Kim and Vienna (2012) will be used for commissioning and initial radioactive operations of the WTP LAW Facility under Bechtel National, Inc. using the DFLAW approach. Then, an updated LAW GFA will be developed for implementation by the WTP operating contractor that takes over after WTP LAW Facility commissioning. This report documents the enhanced LAW glass property-composition models developed for use in the updated LAW GFA. The properties for which models were developed include Product Consistency Test (PCT) response, Vapor Hydration Test (VHT) response, viscosity at 1150 °C, electrical conductivity at 1150 °C, melter SO 3 tolerance at 1150 °C, and K-3 refractory corrosion at 1208 °C. Table S.1 lists the tables in this report that contain the recommended models for each of these properties. The model types recommended include partial quadratic mixture (PQM) models for viscosity, electrical conductivity, melter SO 3 tolerance and K-3 corrosion, bias corrected PQM model (bcPQM) for PCT, and logistic PQM model for VHT. The fits of model and validation subsets were found to be well predicted by the recommended models.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing For New Pipeline Fabrication In Live, Natural Gas Distribution Mains

ULC Technologies (ULC) and the Penn State University Applied Research Lab (PSU ARL) developed a process and approach for rehabilitating live, natural gas distribution pipelines using Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing (CSAM). Robotic inline fabrication of a new pipe will be performed inside a natural gas main without disrupting customers. The material studied was blended with stainless steel which offers corrosion resistance, high strength and compatibility with hydrogen to enable a robust pipeline system that is future proofed. Stainless steel coatings sprayed and tested in the lab showed excellent strength, ductility, and porosity values. ULC initially sought to use methane as the process gas for compatibility with the host pipe, but after evaluating the field and lab challenges, nitrogen was deemed to be more suitable. Early robotic concepts have been developed that indicate technical feasibility. While the technology development originally targeted natural gas distribution mains, market research showed a broader need. Spot repairs performed in natural gas transmission mains may be a more economical approach for reinforcing distribution and transmission mains compared with full pipe-in-pipe rehabilitation. Additive manufacturing offers custom programming, as well as high accuracy and precision. This means custom contours can be manufactured in situ, offering flexibility in the repair solution, such as fabricating internal full circumferential sleeves. The value of the repair can be high at difficult-to-reach locations and in pipes that need reinforcement before the injection of methane-hydrogen blends.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Review of Tank 48H Treatment of Tetraphenylborate with Permanganate

Tank 48H contains roughly 270,000 gallons of radioactive waste material. The waste stored in this tank was to be processed in multiple stages utilizing facilities at the Savannah River Site (SRS) almost 30 years ago. The In-Tank Precipitation Process (ITP) was initiated in Tank 48H, which precipitated highly radioactive cesium-137 using sodium tetraphenylborate (NaTPB). While the process succeeded in precipitating the Cs, Sr, and other actinides, it also generated an unexpectedly large amount of benzene. The evolved benzene created a safety concern and made the waste incompatible with further downstream processing. This halted the ITP, and a new method of treatment was required to continue processing the legacy waste contained in Tank 48H. A myriad of treatment options have been proposed with multiple teams of researchers assembled to work on this highly complex issue over the last few decades. This review investigated one potentially viable treatment option, in-tank oxidation with sodium permanganate. Permanganate has been well known in literature as a strong oxidizing agent for organic compounds, as well as being utilized at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in other processes. A small number of studies have been conducted utilizing waste simulants to evaluate the use of permanganate as an oxidant for tetraphenylborate (TPB). A search of the literature and data from these studies indicates that permanganate could be a viable treatment for destruction of TPB in Tank 48H. While the scoping studies had a small number of individual experiments and nonideal conditions, the permanganate decomposed up to 90% of the TPB. A free hydroxide concentration above 1.0 M is required for tank corrosion control. Simulant studies indicate no decrease in TPB decomposition by permanganate until pH 14. The simulant studies show an increase in TPB decomposition as the temperature of the solution is increased to 40 °C. The post-reaction analysis of previous simulant tests did not look at all of the organic degradation products. Investigations into what these organic products are and in what quantity will help guide determinations as to whether the downstream processing facilities are able to handle the material that will be generated. Study on the time frame for the reaction between permanganate and TPB should be investigated as the literature reports only extend out to two weeks reaction time. The permanganate treatment conditions indicate no corrosion control concerns and a longer timescale reaction may be needed for in-tank treatment. In addition, further study would be useful to identify a lower boundary condition for the ratio of TPB and oxidant. The simulant tests applied large excesses of permanganate, and this may be unnecessary. The size constraint of the tank means that there will be practical limitations on the amount of sodium permanganate that can be added to the tank. The amount of permanganate should be minimized as much as possible while still ensuring decomposition of the TPB to minimize the amount of manganese dioxide solids generated.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗