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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 523 records · Page 29
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Quantification of Aerosol Transmission through Stress Corrosion Crack-Like Geometries

The formation of a stress corrosion crack (SCC) in the canister wall of a dry cask storage system (DCSS) has been identified as a potential issue for the long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel. The presence of an SCC in a storage system could represent a through-wall flow path from the canister interior to the environment. Modern, vertical DCSSs are of particular interest due to the commercial practice of using more significant backfill pressures in the canister, up to approximately 800 kPa. This pressure differential offers a relatively high driving potential for blowdown of any particulates that might be present in the canister. In this study, the rates of gas flow and aerosol transmission of a spent fuel surrogate through an engineered microchannel with dimensions representative of an SCC were evaluated experimentally using coupled mass flow and aerosol analyzers. The microchannel was formed by mating two gage blocks with a linearly tapering slot orifice nominally 13 μm (0.005 in.) tall on the upstream side and 25 μm (0.0010 in.) tall on the downstream side. The orifice is 12.7 mm (0.500 in.) wide by 8.86 mm (0.349 in.) long (flow length). Surrogate aerosols of cerium oxide, CeO 2 , were seeded and mixed with either helium or air inside a pressurized tank. The aerosol characteristics were measured immediately upstream and downstream of the simulated SCC at elevated and ambient pressures, respectively. These data sets are intended to add to previous testing that characterized SCCs under well-controlled boundary conditions through the inclusion of testing improvements that establish initial conditions in a more consistent way. These ongoing testing efforts are focused on understanding the evolution in both size and quantity of a hypothetical release of aerosolized spent fuel particles from failed fuel to the canister interior and ultimately through an SCC.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Testing of Microchannels and Lab-Grown Stress Corrosion Cracks for Quantification of Aerosol Transmission

The formation of a stress corrosion crack (SCC) in the canister wall of a dry cask storage system (DCSS) has been identified as a potential issue for the long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel. The presence of an SCC in a storage system could represent a through-wall flow path from the canister interior to the environment. Modern, vertical DCSSs are of particular interest due to the commercial practice of using higher backfill pressures in the canister, up to approximately 800 kPa, compared to their horizontal counterparts. This pressure differential offers a relatively high driving potential for blowdown of any particulates that might be present in the canister. In this study, the rates of gas flow and aerosol transmission of a spent fuel surrogate through an engineered microchannel with dimensions representative of an SCC were evaluated experimentally using coupled mass flow and aerosol analyzers. The microchannel was formed by mating two gage blocks with a linearly tapering slot orifice nominally 13 μm (0.005 in.) tall on the upstream side and 25 μm (0.0010 in.) tall on the downstream side. The orifice is 12.7 mm (0.500 in.) wide by 8.86 mm (0.349 in.) long (flow length). Surrogate aerosols of cerium oxide, CeO 2 , were seeded and mixed with either helium or air inside a pressurized tank. The aerosol characteristics were measured immediately upstream and downstream of the simulated SCC at elevated and ambient pressures, respectively. These data sets are intended to add to previous testing that characterized SCCs under well-controlled boundary conditions through the inclusion of testing improvements that establish initial conditions in a more consistent way. While the engineered microchannel has dimensions similar to actual SCCs, it does not reproduce the tortuous path the aerosol laden flow would have to traverse for eventual transmission. SCCs can be rapidly grown in a laboratory setting given the right conditions, and initial characterization and clean-flow testing has begun on lab grown crack samples provided to Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). Many such samples are required to produce statistically relevant transmission results, and SNL is developing a procedure to produce samples in welded steel plates. These ongoing testing efforts are focused on understanding the evolution in both size and quantity of a hypothetical release of aerosolized spent fuel particles from failed fuel to the canister interior and ultimately through an SCC.

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

Multiphysics Simulation of the NASA SIRIUS-CAL Fuel Experiment in the Transient Test Reactor Using Griffin

After approximately 50 years, NASA is restarting efforts to develop nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) for interplanetary missions. Building upon nuclear engine tests performed from the late 1950s to the early 1970s, the present research and testing focuses on advanced materials and fabrication methods. A number of transient tests have been performed to evaluate materials performance under high-temperature, high-flux conditions, with several more experiments in the pipeline for future testing. The measured data obtained from those tests are being used to validate the Griffin reactor multiphysics code for this particular type of application. Griffin was developed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) using the MOOSE framework. This article describes the simulation results of the SIRIUS-CAL calibration experiment in the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT). SIRIUS-CAL was the first transient test conducted on NASA fuels, and although the test was performed with a relatively low core peak power, the test specimen survived a temperature exceeding 900 K. Griffin simulations of the experiment successfully matched the reactor’s power transient after calibrating the initial control rod position to match the initial reactor period. The thermal-hydraulics model largely matches the time-dependent response of a thermocouple located within the experiment specimen to within the uncertainty estimate. However, the uncertainty range is significant and must be reduced in the future.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Use of Grid-Forming Medium-Voltage Power Electronics Hub in a Microgrid Setting: Preprint

This paper presents the application of a new design of a multiport, modular, medium-voltage power electronics hub (M3PE-HUB) in a microgrid setting. The M3PE-HUB system was modeled in a digital real-time simulator (DRTS) and integrated into the Banshee microgrid test system. This paper presents the preliminary DRTS simulation-based results of the M3PE- HUB system connected in a test microgrid system. Verification and validation of the M3PE-HUB architecture and controls in the test microgrid setting are the primary contributions of this work. The results of the operation during the islanding and resynchronization process indicate the feasibility of the proposed architecture in a microgrid setting. This paper also presents results for a system reconfiguration use case where the M3PE- HUB was used to reconfigure the system under a fault condition.

grid forming↗
DOE OSTI2025

Wiener Filter Deconvolution for Analog Signals

This project explores the use of Wiener deconvolution to recover an original signal that has been distorted by a known transfer function and by noise. A simulated Gaussian pulse was used as the test signal, and a transfer function was applied in the frequency domain to model the system distortion. Controlled noise was then introduced to approximate real-world signal degradation. A Wiener filter was implemented to reverse the effects of the transfer function while minimizing the influence of noise. The recovered signal was compared with the original pulse to evaluate the effectiveness of the filter. The results demonstrate that Wiener deconvolution offers a stable and effective approach to signal recovery, balancing complete transfer function inversion and noise suppression.

Campbell, Savanna [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Comparing Control Performance Between Simulation and Experiment using the Microreactor Automated Control System Testbed

In the advanced reactor domain, a flexible and scalable software/hardware infrastructure is crucial for integrating and validating various control technologies. This study used the Microreactor Automated Control System (MACS) hardware platform as a testbed. MACS was originally designed to mirror Idaho National Laboratory (INL)'s Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL), a 85-kW thermal fission microreactor. It features control drums for simulated reactivity control; lights that function as a surrogate reactor core, with the brightness being proportional to the reactor power; and light sensors that emulate neutron detectors. To transform MACS into a physical twin of MARVEL for evaluating control methods, the Control and Optimization Modular Modeling Application for Nuclear Deployment (COMMAND) software was employed. This software integrated the hardware with two models of the MARVEL core, based on Reactor Excursion and Leak Analysis Program (RELAP5-3D) and Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) models. The study aimed to demonstrate the gap between control theory and actual practice—a gap that often necessitates empirical adjustments such as control gain retuning, filters, time discretization, and integrator anti-windup measures. Controllers were developed based on increasingly complex simulations without hardware, starting from the base MARVEL model and then introducing actuator saturation constraints and sensor noise. The final control strategy was then tested using MACS, and a comparative performance analysis was conducted.

46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Cluster Dynamics Modeling Needs for the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Program

This milestone report aims to identify and assess the cluster dynamics (CD) modeling requirements within the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) program and to communicate these needs to the DOE-NE Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program. The goal is to ensure NEAMS is well-informed about the CD modeling requirements to support AMMT's mission of accelerating the development, qualification, demonstration, and deployment of advanced structural materials and manufacturing for nuclear energy applications. CD modeling is an essential tool for predicting the degradation of structural materials under irradiation, which is a key component of AMMT's accelerated qualification process. The AMMT program focuses on both additively manufactured and wrought structural alloys, such as laser powder-bed fusion 316H austenitic stainless steel, alloy 709, Haynes 244, and alloy 617. These materials require a generalized CD modeling framework to facilitate rapid model development and computational simulation. A flexible, generalized CD software, similar to the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) finite element framework, would enable modeling of various cluster types, including defect clusters, defect-solute clusters, and multicomponent clusters, incorporating thermodynamics and kinetics parameters. Radiation effects, microstructural feature evolution, and multi-dimensional modeling are critical considerations for the CD model. The usability of the CD code should allow for easy modification and coupling with MOOSE-based simulations. Additionally, the software should adhere to Nuclear Quality Assurance-1 standards, include a testing suite for verification and validation, and be version-controlled within a national laboratory-managed Git repository. Benchmark problems are needed to assess code predictions and performance.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Controlling distributed energy resources via deep reinforcement learning for load flexibility and energy efficiency

Behind-the-meter distributed energy resources (DERs), including building solar photovoltaic (PV) technology and electric battery storage, are increasingly being considered as solutions to support carbon reduction goals and increase grid reliability and resiliency. However, dynamic control of these resources in concert with traditional building loads, to effect efficiency and demand flexibility, is not yet commonplace in commercial control products. Traditional rule-based control algorithms do not offer integrated closed-loop control to optimize across systems, and most often, PV and battery systems are operated for energy arbitrage and demand charge management, and not for the provision of grid services. More advanced control approaches, such as MPC control have not been widely adopted in industry because they require significant expertise to develop and deploy. Recent advances in deep reinforcement learning (DRL) offer a promising option to optimize the operation of DER systems and building loads with reduced setup effort. However, there are limited studies that evaluate the efficacy of these methods to control multiple building subsystems simultaneously. Additionally, most of the research has been conducted in simulated environments as opposed to real buildings. This paper proposes a DRL approach that uses a deep deterministic policy gradient algorithm for integrated control of HVAC and electric battery storage systems in the presence of on-site PV generation. The DRL algorithm, trained on synthetic data, was deployed in a physical test building and evaluated against a baseline that uses the current best-in-class rule-based control strategies. Performance in delivering energy efficiency, load shift, and load shed was tested using price-based signals. The results showed that the DRL-based controller can produce cost savings of up to 39.6% as compared to the baseline controller, while maintaining similar thermal comfort in the building. The project team has also integrated the simulation components developed during this work as an OpenAIGym environment and made it publicly available so that prospective DRL researchers can leverage this environment to evaluate alternate DRL algorithms.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Mitigation of Motor Stalling and FIDVR via Energy Storage Systems with Temporal Logic Specifications

The fault-induced delayed voltage recovery (FIDVR) phenomenon has been very common from the distribution system through the transmission system. It causes a delay on recovering significantly depressed local voltage after the fault is cleared, and it can also lead to more widespread cascading system failures. Mitigating this event with current control approaches is challenging and becoming a crucial issue. Here, a model predictive control-based strategy employing signal temporal logic specifications is proposed to help mitigate FIDVR. To this end, it investigates and extends a dynamic performance model allowing analytic insights into the system-wide impact of motor stalling and FIDVR. The proposed controller provides richer descriptions of voltage specifications addressing both magnitude and time simultaneously. We consider different control specifications with reactive power support from energy storage systems to prevent the voltage during/after the fault from dropping too low, and reduce the delay time of voltage recovery. The simulation results conducted with the IEEE 57 bus test network validate the proposed method and demonstrate the effectiveness of the mitigation strategy on FIDVR.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Recombination of Hydrogen in the Iodine Reactors

The H-Canyon facility is currently dissolving spent nuclear fuel, including Material Test Reactor (MTR) and High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) fuel. Dissolution of aluminum spent nuclear fuel produces hydrogen and other NOx gases. A theory long held by H-Canyon Engineering and Facility Technical Advisors that the silver nitrate-coated berl saddles, present in the iodine reactor, used for off-gas treatment were acting as a catalytic hydrogen recombiner was captured during an external review of the Accelerated Basin Deinventory program. Results from a separate SRNL project using a Raman Spectrometer to monitor the offgas from the dissolution process indicated a lack of the expected hydrogen in the off-gas stream. To test this hypothesis, a laboratory scale iodine reactor was assembled and filled with silver nitrate-coated berl saddles. Testing with this laboratory scale reactor confirmed the recombination of hydrogen when a simulated dissolver off-gas was passed through the reactor containing silver nitrate-coated berl saddles at 173-188 °C. Control experiments performed with uncoated berl saddles resulted in no change to the hydrogen concentration after passing through the reactor. The residence time of the gas in the reactor was varied to determine if residence time had an impact on the amount of hydrogen recombination occurring. Results from these experiments indicated that at the shortest residence times tested (~5 seconds) recombination of the hydrogen still exceeded 90%; however, the percent recombination did increase at longer residence times, reaching 97.9% or greater for residence times over 10 seconds. Finally, testing performed with a simplified off-gas composition containing only hydrogen and air gave similar results, indicating that the presence of NO and N 2 O gases in the stream do not play a role in the recombination reaction.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Balancing Needs Assessment Using Advanced Probabilistic Forecasts

This paper presents a comprehensive approach to predict Balancing Authority (BA) regulation and load following requirements in order to improve BA control performance. In this paper the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) “ramp and uncertainty prediction tool (RUT) and day-ahead regulation prediction (DARP) tool” were upgraded to incorporate advanced probabilistic forecast information provided by AWS Truepower. The proposed methodology has been tested and validated using actual California Independent System Operator (CAISO) data. Simulation confirmed that integration probabilistic forecast information can reduce the predicted regulation range by about 12-31%. This means that BAs can procure fewer balancing resources without compromising their reliability and control performance requirements.

Regulation, Solar Generation, Wind Generation, Con↗
DOE OSTI2024

Optimal Realization of Yang–Baxter Gate on Quantum Computers

Quantum computers provide a promising method to study the dynamics of many-body systems beyond classical simulation. On the other hand, the analytical methods developed and results obtained from the integrable systems provide deep insights on the many-body system. Quantum simulation of the integrable system not only provides a valid benchmark for quantum computers but is also the first step in studying integrable-breaking systems. The building block for the simulation of an integrable system is the Yang–Baxter gate. It is vital to know how to optimally realize the Yang–Baxter gates on quantum computers. Based on the geometric picture of the Yang–Baxter gates, the optimal realizations of two types of Yang–Baxter gates with a minimal number of controlled NOT (CNOT) or gates are presented. It is also shown how to systematically realize the Yang–Baxter gates via the pulse control. The different realizations on IBM quantum computers are tested and compared. It is found that the pulse realizations of the Yang–Baxter gates always have a higher gate fidelity compared to the optimal CNOT or realizations. On the basis of the above optimal realizations, the simulation of the Yang–Baxter equation on quantum computers is demonstrated. Finally, these results provide a guideline and standard for further experimental studies based on the Yang–Baxter gate.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

High precision strike point control to support experiments in the DIII-D small angle slot divertor

Improvements in strike point control enabled tests with the new Small Angle Slot (SAS) divertor installed at DIII-D with precision as tight as ±1 mm, barring brief perturbations from ELMs. Aside from being narrower than previous baffle structures in DIII-D, simulations indicate that performance of the SAS divertor should be very sensitive to strike point position, making the improved strike point control essential for experiments with the SAS divertor. Improved control entails regulating more divertor geometry target locations than before and setting higher gain on the strike point target. This is achieved by tasking more poloidal field (PF) shaping coils with divertor topology control, fine tuning of the coil configuration and algorithm gains, and adding regulation of the power supply common rail. Here, the result is that although more variables are controlled, precision is better: high frequency jitter in the strike point position is lower on average compared to related discharges with standard divertor shape control.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Employing MACS/ViBRANT as a Surrogate MARVEL Reactor for Startup Reactivity Tuning and Supervisory Control Processes

Advanced nuclear reactors are a key part of the future of nuclear energy both in the United States and globally. They offer unique benefits for various energy-demanding applications, including use in remote locations, compact size, modular manufacturing, remote monitoring, low and/or variable power rating operation, and reliance on novel technologies to enhance operational safety. To achieve economic feasibility, advanced reactors must significantly reduce their workforces in comparison with the current fleet. Achieving this reduction will occur through reducing staff workloads using technology to achieve autonomous or semi-autonomous operations, demonstrated by comprehensive testing and validation activities. These operations will require both software and hardware platforms during the design and testing phases. While simulations are useful during the design phase, their performance can significantly deviate during actual deployment on hardware. This report presents the outcomes of a collaborative technical initiative between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Microreactor Program (MRP) and Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation (ASI) Program. The collaboration utilized the Microreactor Automated Control System (MACS) hardware platform to bridge the gap between theoretical reactor design and actual startup and control operations. Two key use cases were investigated: facilitating the startup testing period and demonstrating supervisory control. The first use case details the key Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) reactor startup physics testing activities conducted using the MACS platform. These activities included drum worth measurements, shutdown margin assessment, temperature feedback analysis, and scram time evaluation, as well as unique testing that would apply to the MARVEL reactor to demonstrate the testing methodologies in a low-risk environment. The MACS platform, serving as a surrogate representation of the MARVEL reactor, proved instrumental in performing these tests. The exercise revealed aspects that led to optimized processes, refined hardware design, and enhanced base software capabilities. By maturing methods and technologies in this manner, the initiative promises to reduce wasted time in the actual on-site reactor deployment effort, thereby saving significant time and resources. The second use case focuses on the development and implementation of supervisory control methods aimed at managing core tilt, which can result from asymmetrical operations or manufacturing imperfections in fuel rods or reactivity control devices. A key objective was to assess and compare the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for supervisory control. The effort aimed to define the role of supervisory control to enhance performance without risking control instability. This effort explored three distinct approaches: rules-based (RB) methods, optimization techniques, and reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms. Each approach was evaluated for its ease of implementation, its usability, and its effectiveness in responding to asymmetries in neutron flux. Comparative analysis of these approaches provided valuable insights into their applicability and effectiveness, offering a robust framework for advanced reactor operations. Together, these two use cases highlight the potential of hardware test beds to help streamline the design, operation, and control of advanced nuclear reactors. This collaborative effort underscores the importance of continued innovation and experimentation in achieving the next generation of safe, reliable, and economically viable nuclear energy solutions.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Scaling of thermal stratification in outlet plena of SFRs with gallium as a surrogate fluid

Due to its high thermal diffusivity, liquid sodium can develop thermally stratified regions in the hot and cold pools of SFRs under certain off normal operating conditions. The temperature gradients in the fluid give rise to mixed convection flow in which flow velocities result both from pressure gradients and from volume forces induced by density gradients. High thermal diffusivity and low momentum diffusivity leads to reduced thermal mixing and enhanced stratification. Thermal stratification, if not looked carefully in the design, can lead to severe consequences in normal operation with forced coolant circulation and during off-normal natural circulation. The resulting hydraulic and thermal loads can cause the failure modes in structures and components critical for reactor safety. Thermal stratification in the SFR pools can lead to thermal fatigue, which can lead to structural and material failure, or pose serious concerns for the reactor safety. In addition to thermo-structural issues, the reactivity changes are significantly impacted due to density or temperature driven movement of liquid sodium. Temperature changes or gradients in the Upper Instrumentation Structures (UIS) of SFRs can lead to thermal contraction, a case that can lead to positive reactivity insertion after core shut-down. The motivation of this work is to design a scaled down experimental facility which can generate high fidelity data for thermal stratification physics to validate 3-dimensional (3D) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models. These validated CFD codes can be used to improve the 1-dimensional (1D) system level codes such as SAS4A/SASSYS-1 which are currently not capable of simulating thermal stratification accurately. These improvements in 1D system level SAS4A/SASSYS-1 codes can significantly improve the safety analyses and design of SFRs. The GaTE facility outlet plenum model is designed based on physics based similarities. Thermal stratification physics is governed primarily by the Richardson numbers (Ri). The expected low flow rates during off-normal conditions can lead to a high degree of thermal stratification in the outlet plenum with a corresponding Ri = 530. Therefore, the inlet flow velocities and inlet hydraulic diameter for the gallium coolant entering the test vessel are required to achieve same Ri. The design of test vessel in GaTE facility is finalized to a 1/20. scale outlet plenum height of the ABTR. This design of the test facility will allow the decoupling of the thermal stratification physics at low flow rates with the transient natural circulation. In other words, it will enable effective control to study thermal stratification at very low flow rates. Numerical studies are conducted with a 3D CFD code to examine the thermal behavior of the selected test design. Simulation results show that thermal gradients are present only in the vertical or axial direction which are similar to the behavior reported in previous studies on full scale SFR models. Future work will involve the experimental studies using the GaTE facility with the high fidelity instrumentation.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Dynamic Restoration Strategy for Distribution System Resilience Enhancement

In electric power distribution systems, distributed energy resources (DERs) can act as controllable power sources and support utility operators to minimize power outages after extreme weather events (e.g., hurricane, earthquake, wildfire) and thus help enhance the grid's resilience. Meanwhile, the influences of extreme events and the capabilities of DERs are dynamic and difficult to predict. Hence, the desired distribution system restoration strategy should be able to evolve according to real-time fault/dis-turbance information and the availability of DERs. In this paper, we propose a new dynamic restoration strategy for distribution systems to enhance system resilience against potential hazards. An efficient reconfiguration algorithm is developed to eliminate the use of integer variables to relieve the computational burden. Model predictive control is implemented to adjust the system topology and DER operation set points based on the updated fault information and DER forecasts. The effectiveness of the proposed restoration model in enhancing distribution system resilience is validated through an IEEE 123-bus test system. Simulation results also validate that the proposed restoration model can mitigate the occurrence of unexpected events and the fluctuations of DERs.

distributed energy resources (DERs)↗
DOE OSTI2019

Development of a Semi-autonomous Miniature Rover for Inspection of Double Shell Tank Floors - 19575

Leaks in the primary liner of double-shell tank (DST) 241-AY-102 at Hanford have prompted the need for the development of inspection tools that are able to access confined spaces around and underneath the tanks. Last year, Florida International University (FIU) has continued to improve inspection tools that were developed in the previous years, to ensure that the resultant tools are able to overcome the challenges posed by the DSTs. Experimental testing conducted last year at the full-scale sectional mock-up of the DST's refractory slots revealed some shortcomings of the miniature rover, particularly in traversing over weld seams of different heights. The weld seams are the results of welded steel plate-joints for the DST. It was advised by the site engineers that the weld seams height could range from 6.35 mm - 9.525 mm (1/4 to 3/8 inches), and with 12.7 mm (1/2 inches) width. As the rover traverses over a weld seam, the gap between the rover's magnets and tank surface increases, causing the adhesive force to drop. The rover loses its surface contact if this adhesive force drops below its weight, jeopardizing the inspection tasks. In this paper, we present the numerical studies to calculate the minimum magnetic force required for the miniature rover to traverse over weld seams with different heights and the corresponding modifications to the rover design. Initial bench scale tests were conducted using a steel bar with 5 welds of varying heights. The testing validated the results from the simulation studies and established the rover's capability in traversing weld seams. Another challenge for the miniature rover is the use of a joystick or keypad for manual control. Utilizing these controls will likely be difficult for the operators due to the tight channels underneath the tank. Having a semi-autonomous navigational capability would alleviate the complexity of the inspection tasks and allow the operator to focus on the channel inspection. The goal is to implement lane-keeping capability, akin to that of a driverless car, for the inspection tool, so that it will maintain its relative position with respect to the wall of the channels. Am image processing pipeline has been developed using both the Robot Operating System (ROS) and OpenCV to process the image stream coming from the onboard camera, for the purpose of lane identification. Additionally, a PID controller has been implemented to navigate the miniature rover along the central location of the detected lane, while allowing the operator to control the tool's forward and backward motion. (authors)

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

High-performance and high-fidelity Monte Carlo solutions to the BEAVRS benchmark

The BEAVRS (Benchmark for Evaluation and Validation of Reactor Simulation) benchmark is solved by PRAGMA, the GPU-based continuous energy Monte Carlo code. The resulting solutions are comprised of the detailed simulation results of two cycles, each of which consists of the zero power physics test (ZPPT) and the core depletion calculations. The ZPPT consists of characteristic parameters, such as critical boron concentration (CBC), control rod bank worth, isothermal temperature coefficients, and assembly-wise detector signal, which are compared with measured data provided by the benchmark administration. The core depletion calculations were performed for both the hot full power and the load follow modes, and the comparison was made with the measured or deduced CBCs and assembly-wise detector signals. In the load follow calculations, the operating power history was approximately applied to simulate the real operation as closely as possible. PRAGMA performed the various calculations with a tremendous number of histories ranging up to hundreds of millions per cycle, exploiting GPUs' massively parallel performance. The load follow run time was shorter than 16 hours on a single rack of computing nodes mounded with 24 gaming GPUs with a remarkable agreement with the measurements for most comparisons. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗