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At least 55 records · Page 3

Flight guidance research for recovery from microburst wind shear

Research is in progress to develop flight strategy concepts for avoidance and recovery from microburst wind shears. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the performance of various strategies for recovery from wind shear encountered during the approach-to-landing, examine the associated piloting factors, and evaluate the payoff of forward-look sensing. Both batch and piloted simulations are utilized. The industry-recommended manual recovery technique is used as a baseline strategy. Two advanced strategies were selected for the piloted tests. The first strategy emulates the recovery characteristics shown by prior optimal trajectory analysis, by initially tracking the glideslope, then commanding a shallow climb. The second strategy generates a flight path angle schedule that is a function of airplane energy state and the instantaneous shear strength. All three strategies are tested with reactive sensing only and with forward-look sensing. Piloted simulation tests are in progress. Tentative results indicate that, using only reactive alerts, there appears to be little difference in performance between the various strategies. With forward-look alerts, the advanced guidance strategies appear to have advantages over the baseline strategy. Relatively short forward-look alert times, on the order of 10 or 15 seconds, produce a far greater recovery benefit than optimizing a recovery from a reactive alert.

Hinton, David A.↗

Longitudinal-control design approach for high-angle-of-attack aircraft

This paper describes a control synthesis methodology that emphasizes a variable-gain output feedback technique that is applied to the longitudinal channel of a high-angle-of-attack aircraft. The aircraft is a modified F/A-18 aircraft with thrust-vectored controls. The flight regime covers a range up to a Mach number of 0.7; an altitude range from 15,000 to 35,000 ft; and an angle-of-attack (alpha) range up to 70 deg, which is deep into the poststall region. A brief overview is given of the variable-gain mathematical formulation as well as a description of the discrete control structure used for the feedback controller. This paper also presents an approximate design procedure with relationships for the optimal weights for the selected feedback control structure. These weights are selected to meet control design guidelines for high-alpha flight controls. Those guidelines that apply to the longitudinal-control design are also summarized. A unique approach is presented for the feed-forward command generator to obtain smooth transitions between load factor and alpha commands. Finally, representative linear analysis results and nonlinear batch simulation results are provided.

Ostroff, Aaron J.↗

Analytical Examination of the Relationship between Fuel Properties, Engine Efficiency, and R Factor Values

The variability in gasoline energy content, though most frequently not a consumer concern, is an issue of concern for vehicle manufacturers in demonstrating compliance with regulatory requirements. Advancements in both vehicle technology, test methodology, and fuel formulations have increased the level of visibility and concern with regard to the energy content of fuels used for regulatory testing. The R factor was introduced into fuel economy calculations for vehicle certification in the late 1980s as a means of addressing batch-to-batch variations in the heating value of certification fuels and the resulting variations in fuel economy results. While previous studies have investigated values of the R factor for modern vehicles through experimentation, subsequent engine studies have made clear that it is difficult to distinguish between the confounding factors that influence engine efficiency when R is being studied experimentally. The proposed study focuses on an analytical approach to examining the heating value effects so that R values can be studied without the influence of confounding effects of other fuel properties. Data previously published for a 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated engine are used as a case study to explore the relationship between fuel properties, engine efficiency, and R factor values. The results demonstrate that engine efficiency does vary as a result of differences in heating value among fuels, although other factors that are variant among fuels also impact efficiency. R factor values depend not only on the difference in heating value between two fuels, but also on the directionality of the change and on engine operating loads. The latter is integral because the reference engine efficiency point is itself a function of the engine operating condition. R factor values asymptotically approach unity as engine operating load increases. Increasing engine efficiency causes R values for a given test fuel to increase. A method is presented for which the test data from only one fuel is required to establish R factor values for individual vehicles and test cycles. An alternative method of establishing Indolene fuel economy equivalency for certification tests is also discussed.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Laboratory Development of a Pot Calcination Process for Converting Liquid Wastes to Solids

Simulated Darex, Purex, Thorex, and TBP-25 wastes were batch-evaporated and calcined to solids. The weight of residue was decreased to ~ 8% of the original waste for Darex, to ~ 4% for Purex, to ~ 2% for Thorex, and ~ 7% for TBP-25 by calcination to 1200°C. Semicontinuous evaporation and calcination to solids at 900°C of Darex and Purex wastes gave volume reduction factors of ~ 8 and 7 to 10, respectively. The nitrate contents of the residues from batch calcination to 800°C were from ~ 0.07 to 0.5 wt % while the nitrate contents of the residues from semicontinuous calcination to 900°C were from ~ 0.1 to 0.7 wt %. Sodium, calcium, and magnesium additives to Purex waste decreased the percent of sulfate volatilized into the condensate from ~ 30% to <0.5%. Replacement of the atmosphere above the waste with nitric oxide decreased ruthenium volatility from 50 to 60% of that originally present in Purex waste to 0.5 to 3.5%. The thermal conductivities for the calcined wastes, measured in situ, were all >0.1 Btu/hr ft °F at ~ 400°F and increased almost linearly with increasing temperature to >0.3 Btu/hr ft °F at ~ 1600°F in all cases studied.

052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing↗

Effects of Electrical Stimulation on hiPSC-CM Responses to Classic Ion Channel Blockers

Abstract Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) hold great potential for personalized cardiac safety prediction, particularly for that of drug-induced proarrhythmia. However, hiPSC-CMs fire spontaneously and the variable beat rates of cardiomyocytes can be a confounding factor that interferes with data interpretation. Controlling beat rates with pacing may reduce batch and assay variations, enable evaluation of rate-dependent drug effects, and facilitate the comparison of results obtained from hiPSC-CMs with those from adult human cardiomyocytes. As electrical stimulation (E-pacing) of hiPSC-CMs has not been validated with high-throughput assays, herein, we compared the responses of hiPSC-CMs exposed with classic cardiac ion channel blockers under spontaneous beating and E-pacing conditions utilizing microelectrode array technology. We found that compared with spontaneously beating hiPSC-CMs, E-pacing: (1) reduced overall assay variabilities, (2) showed limited changes of field potential duration to pacemaker channel block, (3) revealed reverse rate dependence of multiple ion channel blockers on field potential duration, and (4) eliminated the effects of sodium channel block on depolarization spike amplitude and spike slope due to a software error in acquiring depolarization spike at cardiac pacing mode. Microelectrode array optogenetic pacing and current clamp recordings at various stimulation frequencies demonstrated rate-dependent block of sodium channels in hiPSC-CMs as reported in adult cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, pacing enabled more accurate rate- and concentration-dependent drug effect evaluations. Analyzing responses of hiPSC-CMs under both spontaneously beating and rate-controlled conditions may help better assess the effects of test compounds on cardiac electrophysiology and evaluate the value of the hiPSC-CM model.

Wei, Feng↗

TransPlatformer

We propose TransPlatformer for translating toxicogenomics from one platform to another. Transcriptomic profiling has evolved through multiple generations of technology, from microarrays (e.g., Affymetrix, CodeLink) to more recent high-throughput sequencing and targeted panels such as S1500+. Microarrays, which dominated gene expression studies in the early 2000s, provided affordable and high-throughput transcript quantification but suffered from cross-hybridization issues and limited dynamic range . RNA-Seq, introduced in the late 2000s, revolutionized transcriptomics by enabling unbiased and comprehensive gene expression analysis, albeit at higher costs and computational demands . Despite advances, many studies rely on historical microarray data, necessitating the translation of legacy data into modern platforms to ensure continuity and comparability. This translation is complicated by factors such as platform-specific probe design, differences in transcript coverage, and batch effects . Existing methods for cross-platform mapping include statistical normalization, machine learning models, and biological anchoring approaches. The ability to translate transcriptomic data between platforms has broad implications, including enhanced meta-analyses, improved toxicological modeling, and better integration of historical datasets with contemporary research. TransPlatformer seeks to contribute to this effort by evaluating translation methodologies and proposing novel strategies to improve cross-platform gene expression harmonization. In this repository there are code examples for TransPlatformer implementation

Cong, Guojing↗

Assessing Impact of Reactor Scaling on Carbohydrate and Lipid Yields from Saline and Fresh Water Algae

Effective deconstruction of algal biomass is a major challenge associated with algal biofuels/bioproduct production. Improving biomass conversion requires understanding how reaction parameters affect the scale-up of bench scale processes to move to cost-effective conversion. Pretreatment of both aquatic and terrestrial feedstocks, using similar reaction conditions, identical feedstock and pretreatment chemistries have reported wide ranges in total sugar yields. This has been attributed to differences in reactor size or scale, type of operation (batch vs continuous), method of heating, reactor geometry and solids loading (w/w). These factors can impact both mass and heat transfer affecting both yield and reaction kinetics. To understand how total sugar yields in algal biomass are affected by different dilute acid pretreatment configurations we evaluated total sugar and lipid release at three reactor scales ranging from 4 ml to 300 ml, operated under mixed and non-mixed regimes.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Factors Governing the Performance of Bauxite for Fluoride Remediation of Groundwater

Globally, 200 million people drink groundwater contaminated with fluoride concentrations exceeding the World Health Organization's recommended level (WHO-MCL = 1.5 mg F - /L). This study investigates the use of minimally processed (dried/milled) bauxite ore as an inexpensive adsorbent for remediating fluoride-contaminated groundwater in resource-constrained areas. Adsorption experiments in synthetic groundwater using bauxites from Guinea, Ghana, U.S., and India as single-use batch dispersive media demonstrated that doses of ~10-23 g/L could effectively remediate 10 mg F - /L. To elucidate factors governing fluoride removal, bauxites were characterized using X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, gas-sorption analysis, and adsorption isotherms/envelopes. All ores contained gibbsite, had comparable surface areas (~14-17 m 2 /g), had similar intrinsic affinities and capacities for fluoride, and did not leach harmful ions into product water. Fluoride uptake on bauxite -primarily through ion-exchange- was strongly pH-dependent, with highest removal occurring at pH 5.0-6.0. Dissolution of CaCO 3 , present in trace amounts in India bauxite, significantly hindered fluoride removal by increasing solution pH. We also showed that fluoride remediation with the best-performing Guinea bauxite was ~23-33 times less expensive than with activated alumina. In conclusion, overall, our results suggest that bauxite could be an affordable fluoride-remediation adsorbent with the potential to improve access to drinking water for millions living in developing countries.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Extraction chromatographic separations of tantalum and tungsten from hafnium and complex matrix constituents

Ta, Hf, and W analyses from complex matrices (including environmental samples) require high purification of these analytes from each other and major/trace matrix constituents, however, current state-of-the-art Ta/Hf/W separations rely on traditional anion exchange approaches that suffer from relatively similar distribution coefficient (Kd) values for these analytes. This work reports assessment of three commercially available extraction chromatographic resins (TEVA, TRU, and UTEVA) for Ta/Hf/W separations. Batch contact studies show differences in Ta/W,Hf Kd values of up to 106, representing an improvement of a factor of 100 and 300 in Ta/Hf and Ta/W Kd values (respectively) over AG1x4 resin. Variations in the Kd values as a function of HCl concentration for TRU resin show that this resin is well suited for Ta/Hf/W separations, with Ta/Hf, Ta/W, and W/Hf Kd value improvements of 10, 200, and 30 (respectively) over AG1x4 resin. Finally, analyses of digested soil samples (NIST 2710a) using TRU resin and tandem TEVA-TRU columns demonstrate the ability to achieve extremely high purification (>99%) of Ta and W from each other and Hf, as well as enabling very high purification of Ta and W from the major and trace elemental constituents present in soils, using a single chromatographic step.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Characterization and CST Batch Contact Equilibrium Testing of Modified Tank 9H Process Supernate Samples in Support of TCCR

The Tank Closure Cesium Removal (TCCR) system uses ion exchange columns filled with crystalline silicotitanate (CST) media to process radioactive waste solutions for the removal of ¹³⁷Cs. TCCR currently focuses on dissolving Savannah River Site (SRS) radioactive tank waste (primarily sodium saltcake solids) within Tank 10H followed by at-tank ion exchange column treatment. Two supernate batches from Tank 10H have been processed through the TCCR unit and processing of a third batch is expected soon. After processing of this supernate batch, plans are to replace the CST columns and process dissolved salt solution from Tank 9H through Tank 10H and then through the new CST columns installed in the TCCR unit. The new columns are expected to contain either a media similar to an archived CST batch (IE-911) or the R9120-B CST media used in the current TCCR columns (the two materials are fundamentally the same; just different specifications, product names, and preconditioning steps). Samples of Tank 9H dissolved saltcake were received at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and characterized. The Tank 9H supernate contained a high sodium concentration (~9.6 M Na⁺) and will require dilution to near 6 M [Na⁺] prior to processing through the TCCR unit. The cesium concentration in Tank 9H is currently significantly higher than was observed with Tank 10H. Three dilutions of the Tank 9H supernate were conducted to mimic possible dilutions that could be conducted in the tank farm prior to TCCR processing using inhibited water, sodium hydroxide, and sodium nitrate solutions. Dilution #1 was prepared by diluting the Tank 9H supernate by a factor of 1.6 with inhibited water, Dilution #2 was prepared by diluting the Tank 9H supernate by a factor of 3.7 with a mixed sodium hydroxide/sodium nitrate diluent, and Dilution #3 was prepared by also diluting by a factor of 3.7 but with sodium hydroxide only. All three dilutions have similar Na⁺ concentrations (~6 M), but Dilutions #2 and #3 contain significantly less cesium. Major and key minor components of the diluted Tank 9H supernate samples are provided in Table ES-1. Batch contact equilibrium tests were conducted with the Tank 9H dilutions and the two different CST media batches being considered for use in the new TCCR columns. Results are summarized in Table ES-2 and compared to ZAM model predictions. The highest cesium distribution coefficient and percent removal were observed with Dilution #3. IE-911 CST (an archived CST media batch) was more effective at removing cesium than the more recently prepared R9120-B CST media, though both media samples removed >88% of the cesium and the differences may not be statistically different considering the overall uncertainty. Based on the results, maximum cesium loadings were calculated for each CST media type and Tank 9H dilution. In general, maximum cesium loadings from dilutions of this supernate batch are quite high (approaching 0.1 mmol total Cs⁺/g CST for Dilution #1). The highest calculated maximum ¹³⁷Cs loading for the Tank 9H dilutions using the ZAM model with input of the tank compositions and batch contact results was 207 Ci/kg CST (Dilution #1 with IE-911 CST). In all cases, higher maximum cesium loading values were predicted for IE-911 CST versus R9120-B, although the differences varied considerably between the dilutions. The maximum loading value for IE-911 CST with Tank 9H Dilution #1 was only 7% higher than the maximum loading for R9120-B. The maximum loading value for IE-911 CST with Dilution #3 was 24% higher than the maximum loading for R9120-B. Dilution #2 was intermediate between these values. Note that these maximum loading values are the theoretical calculated values, and actual operating conditions will cause differences. A CST binder dilution (correction) factor near 0.7 (relative to pure powder CST) was required for each batch contact test with IE-911 engineered CST using the three Tank 9H dilutions. Correction factors calculated for R9120-B CST ranged from 0.56 to 0.66 for the three dilutions. Following the batch contact tests, the CST samples were isolated from the Tank 9H solution, washed, dried, and digested in acid following established procedures. The analysis results are provided in Table ES-3. Total cesium loading values determined by CST digestion were similar to the calculated loading values based on solution analysis (Table ES-2) for all samples. In addition, the CST was observed to load calcium (R9120-B sample only), iron, strontium, lead, uranium, and plutonium after contact with the waste supernate, as has been observed previously.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Incorporation of salinity, nitrogen, and shading stress factors into the Huesemann Algae Biomass Growth model

The Huesemann Algae Biomass Growth (HABG) model predicts microalgae biomass growth in outdoor raceways as a function of water temperature and incident light intensity. The model over-predicted growth in several Regional Algal Feedstock Testbed (RAFT) experiments. Inspection of the culture conditions suggested that salinity stress, nutrient limitation, and shading reduced growth, which were not included in the original model. Laboratory experiments were carried out to measure growth response of S. obliquus to high salinity and limited nitrogen. In addition, the shading effect was estimated based on raceway geometry, solar angle, albedo and measured light intensity data. In this study, the improvement of model performance is presented step by step as each growth limiting factor is incorporated into the model. The new salinity, shanding, and nutrient stress factors remove most of the over-prediction of the original model. Comparison of the model with observed data indicated that ignoring the lag phase also resulted in overprediction. Delaying the start of the simulation until the end of the lag phase and inclusion of stress factors lowered model inaccuracy from 90% over-prediction to within ±10% in six out of seven batches.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Characterization of the response of radiochromic film to quasi-monoenergetic x rays through a cross-calibration with image plates

Radiochromic film (RCF) and image plates (IPs) are both commonly used detectors in diagnostics fielded at inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and high-energy-density physics (HEDP) research facilities. Due to the intense x-ray background in all ICF/HEDP experiments, accurately calibrating the optical density of RCF as a function of x-ray dose, and the photostimulated luminescence per photon of IPs as a function of x-ray energy, is necessary for interpreting experimental results. Various measurements of the sensitivity curve of different IPs to x rays have been performed [Izumi et al., Proc. SPIE 8850, 885006 (2013) and Rosenberg et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 90(1), 013506 (2019)]; however, calibrating RCF is a tedious process that depends on factors such as the orientation in which the RCF is scanned in the film scanner and the batch of RCF used. These issues can be mitigated by cross-calibrating RCF with IPs to enable the use of IPs for the determination of dose on the RCF without scanning the RCF. Here, the first cross-calibration of RCF with IPs to quasi-monoenergetic titanium, copper, and molybdenum K-line x rays is presented. It is found that the IP-inferred dose rates on the RCF for the Ti and Mo x rays agree well with the measured dose rates, while the IP-inferred dose rate for the Cu x rays is larger than the measured dose rate by ∼2×. Explanations for this discrepancy and plans for future work are discussed.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗

FY24 Integrated Results for High-Temperature Mechanical Testing of LPBF 316H Stainless Steel

This report provides the mechanical test data of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) 316H stainless steel (SS) collected during Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 24) under the US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies program, along with the current state of microstructural-based understandings of the behaviors. Materials with variabilities in manufacturing site, machine, laser parameters, powder chemistry, porosity, specimen geometry and heat treatment were tested in high-temperature tension, creep, fatigue and creep-fatigue. Electron microscopy and optical microscopy were performed on selected materials before and after the tests to provide microstructural-based understandings to the mechanical behavior. It was discovered that the as-built (AB) and stress-relieved (SR) materials exhibit similar behaviors in tension and creep, as do the solution-annealed (SA) and hot-isostatic pressed (HIP) materials. The AB and SR materials are softer but more ductile than the SA and HIP materials in tension. In creep, the LPBF materials have comparable rupture times but lower rupture strains compared to the wrought materials. The AB and SR materials have low creep rupture strains (<10%) when tested at 720°C and 800°C, while the SA and HIP materials are much more ductile. The LPBF materials exhibit large scatter in fatigue and creep-fatigue lives. The cyclic lives of creep-fatigue tests are lower than those of fatigue tests. In fatigue and creep-fatigue, SR materials outperform SA materials. A common observation from the cyclic tests is that, given the same post-build heat treatment, a lower initial peak stress generally results in a longer cyclic life regardless of hold time. It was also discovered that the batch variation can be more impactful than heat treatment, as demonstrated by the overall better performance of one batch of material than another, regardless of the heat treatment. The results provided insights into how different factors impact the behaviors of LPBF 316H SS. An outlook to FY 25 work scope is provided.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Estimation and filtering for high-precision GPS positioning applications

Estimation of GPS satellite orbits and other parameters for high-accuracy geodetic and tracking applications is carried out with a multi-satellite batch sequential pseudo-epoch state process noise filter. Both square-root information filtering and UD factorized covariance filtering and smoothing formulations are implemented in the software to enhance numerical stability. The filtering algorithms have been arranged to take advantage of sparse matrices and other characteristics of the GPS measurement scenarios. The filter includes unique error evaluation capabilities to assess effects from mismodeling. Process noise plays a key role in the orbit determination for stochastic behavior of transmitter/receiver clocks, atmospheric-induced delay fluctuations, and unmodeled spacecraft accelerations. Present GPS orbit accuracy is better than 1 m, with ground baselines determined simultaneously to relative accuracy of 1.5 parts in 10 to the 8th over several thousand km distance.

Lichten, Stephen M.↗

TPSAS-NF1676L-16988-DND

There has been renewed interest to uniformly recalibrate historical geostationary (GEO) data records to aid in climate monitoring. GEO sensors have annual repeatable angular sampling over a given location. The view angle is fixed and the imaging schedule is usually constant through its lifetime. Given the fact that colocated GEOs are always share the same sub-satellite point and maintain their imaging schedules provides repeatable angular sampling over decades. One of the biggest challenges in transferring a reference sensor calibration using invariant desert targets to another sensor is the accuracy of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BDRF). A well-calibrated GEO can be used to predict the daily exoatmospheric radiance model (DERM) over a desert target for a given GMT that is valid for any GEO sensor at the same location. The advantage of this method is that a BRDF is not needed. Another challenge of invariant target calibration is the unique spectra signature of the desert. However, since most GEOs are built in batches, the spectral response functions (SRF) are very similar for most historical GEOs, the spectral band adjustment factor (SBAF) between GEO sensors is much smaller than for MODIS and GEO sensors. Since the water vapor burden over the desert is seasonal, both the TOA and desert surface can be considered invariant for a given day of the year. The reference GEO can be inter-calibrated with MODIS or VIIRS, which have onboard visible calibration using solar diffusers, using other methods, such as ray-matching or deep convective clouds. Also the next generation GEOs will have onboard visible calibration, which will increase the accuracy of this method. Three Meteosats over the Libyan desert will be used to illustrate the DERM method. The reference Meteosat will be inter-calibrated against Aqua-MODIS. The reference GEO DERM will be constructed and used to calibrate the remaining Meteosats. The DERM calibration will be validated by comparing the calibration using Aqua-MODIS ray-matching. Similarly, two GOES sensors using the Sonoran desert will also be highlighted. An uncertainty analysis will also be performed with emphasis on the SBAF, derived over the desert targets using both SCIAMACHY and Hyperion hyper-spectral radiances.

David Doelling↗

(U) A General-Purpose Code for Correlated Sampling Using Batch Statistics with MCNP6 for Fixed-Source Problems

Correlated sampling can be used to reduce the uncertainty of a difference of tallies by taking advantage of the negative covariance term in the sandwich formula. Booth first showed how correlated sampling can be applied with batch statistics using MCNP’s tally fluctuation chart (TFC) to reduce the uncertainty of a difference of tallies in fixed-source problems. Booth presented a problem in which a 1273% uncertainty in a difference was reduced to 8% by accounting for correlations. Researchers He and Su recently studied correlated sampling using the TFC in MCNP version 5. They determined that the code did not print enough digits in the TFC tally means for accurate batch statistics in some cases. After modifying the source code, they concluded that “correlated sampling can yield a standard deviation of about one magnitude smaller than that predicted by the direct, un-correlated simulation when the changes in system response are small (say about 1%), which is equivalent to saving in CPU time by a factor of 100. Such saving [sic] becomes less significant as the change in system response becomes larger.” He and Su provided the formulas needed to apply batch statistics to compute the correlated uncertainty of a difference of tallies. In this report, we follow up on their work by providing the formulas needed to apply batch statistics to compute the correlated uncertainty of a ratio of tallies and of a difference of two tallies divided by a third tally. We extend these formulas to differences and ratios of ratios. These formulas are applied to reduce the uncertainty associated with calculating a relative sensitivity. He and Su did not investigate the accuracy of their correlated sampling uncertainty estimates. We use their test problems and evaluate the accuracy of the uncertainty estimates by comparing with results obtained from random sampling, and, in simple cases, with theoretical values of the “exact” uncertainties. We find that the uncertainties obtained from batch statistics are accurate as long as at least 100 batches are used. We present a new computer code, COSUBS (COrrelated Sampling Using Batch Statistics), that reads MCNP6 TFCs and applies correlated sampling using batch statistics for the tally combinations that the user specifies. COSUBS is a very general tool that compares all TFCs for a base case and one or two perturbed cases. It computes uncertainties for ratios if given only a base case. This report is organized as follows. The equations to apply batch statistics to the difference of random tallies are reviewed in Sec. II. Section III presents the equations for applying batch statistics to a ratio of random tallies; this is useful for computing relative sensitivities using a one-sided finite difference and the relative sensitivity using the differential operator method. Section IV presents the equations for applying batch statistics to a difference of two random tallies divided by a third; this is useful for computing a relative sensitivities using a central difference. Section V presents the equations for applying batch statistics to a difference of two ratios with four random tallies. Section VI presents the equations for applying batch statistics to a one-sided finite difference estimate of the relative sensitivity of a ratio (this uses four random tallies). Section VII presents the equations for applying batch statistics to a central difference estimate of the relative sensitivity of a ratio (this uses six random tallies). Section VIII presents the equations for applying batch statistics to a sum of random tallies. Section IX discusses how to apply batch statistics using MCNP6. Section X presents COSUBS, describing its command-line options and logic. Sections XI through XVI present numerical results for various test problems. Section XVII is a summary and conclusions. Appendix A derives the theoretical Monte Carlo tally variance given certain assumptions; these variances are used to verify the batch statistics for some of the problems. Appendix B lists the MCNP6 input for the unperturbed example problem. Appendix C presents modifications made to MCNP6.3 to support this work.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations of Glass Vitrification Refractory Coupon Tests

The Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) at the Hanford site is nearing the start of the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) operations. DFLAW is destined to convert a pretreated low activity waste portion of the 56 million gallons of tank waste into a stable solid glass. In the subsequent decade completion of the high-level waste (HLW) facility is anticipated. Sustained operational missions of both LAW and HLW melter facilities are expected over multiple decades. In high-temperature glass melters, the refractory lining corrodes over time, which could potentially be an issue for longer term operations, this refractory corrosion is higher at the level of the glass-air interface due to surface tension driven flow. The glass viscosity, melt pool temperature, and glass chemical composition can impact the rate at which the refractory corrodes. This rate is important to quantify for the various waste glasses to be produced at the WTP since the integrity of the refractory should not be a limiting factor affecting the lifetime of the melter. To this end, a series of glasses representative of the first batches of waste glass produced by the WTP will be melted in small-scale crucibles with Monofrax® K-3 coupons inserted. The corrosion of the K-3 will be measured in the melt and at the meltline (or neckline). A model for the corrosion rate will be constructed and implemented into a previously developed framework for a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the full-scale WTP. To assist with experimental design and validate the implementation of the model in the full-scale melter, CFD simulations of the small-scale crucible tests were performed. The bubbling that occurs in the small-scale crucible is initially validated here with a model that uses silicone oil at room temperature. The viscosity of the oil ranges from 1 to 100 Pa•s, which corresponds to operating glass pool temperatures near 1150 °C down to idling temperatures near 950 °C. The simulation results show good agreement with the bubble sizes that form during experiments. CFD modeling of the crucible setup was used to determine bubbling characteristics to match the range of near-wall velocities expected in the full-scale WTP. This study presents the initial CFD modeling results, corrosion testing plan, and some preliminary corrosion samples with an outline for the next steps for the development of the corrosion model.

Abboud, Alexander W. [Idaho National Lab]↗

Estimation and filtering techniques for high-accuracy GPS applications

Techniques for determination of very precise orbits for satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS) are currently being studied and demonstrated. These techniques can be used to make cm-accurate measurements of station locations relative to the geocenter, monitor earth orientation over timescales of hours, and provide tropospheric and clock delay calibrations during observations made with deep space radio antennas at sites where the GPS receivers have been collocated. For high-earth orbiters, meter-level knowledge of position will be available from GPS, while at low altitudes, sub-decimeter accuracy will be possible. Estimation of satellite orbits and other parameters such as ground station positions is carried out with a multi-satellite batch sequential pseudo-epoch state process noise filter. Both square-root information filtering (SRIF) and UD-factorized covariance filtering formulations are implemented in the software.

Lichten, S. M.↗