Heat Pipe Modeling Using Sockeye [Slides]
A presentation to be given at the Microreactor Program Heat Pipe Assessment Workshop about modeling heat pipes with the code Sockeye.
42 ENGINEERING↗
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Advanced Fuel Cycle Cost Basis Report: Module D1-2 LWR Pelletized MOX Fuel Fabrication
Nature of this 2021 Module update from previous AFC-CBRs: Use of U,Pu MOX life cycle cost data from late 1970s Non-proliferation Assessment Systems Analysis Program (NASAP). This archived data has been updated in 2018-2019 to reflect today’s regulatory and economic conditions and is presented in 2017. For the lower unit cost MOX fabrication case the PuO 2 from the reprocessed LWR SNF is assumed to be fabricated immediately after aqueous PUREX reprocessing, thus minimizing the time for undesirable actinide radioisotopes, from the standpoint of radiation safety, to build in. Fabricated MOX utilizing separated and multi-year stored Pu from aqueously reprocessed SNF has also been added to this Module as a second LWR MOX fabrication variant, requiring additional and more costly glovebox design and operations to protect personnel. This new NASAP-informed data augments historical data and unit cost projections appearing in the 2009 (Shropshire et al 2009), 2012 (Dixon et al 2012), and 2017 Dixon et al 2017) AFC-CBRs. The “What-it-takes” 2017 unit fabrication cost values based on the updated NASAP studies are escalated to 2020$ for this 2021 Update Report.
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
Advanced Fuel Cycle Cost Basis Report: Module D1-4 and Module D1-5 Ceramic Pelletized Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) Fuel Fabrication Ceramic Vibrocompacted Fuel Fabrication
This is a cost module that is part of the Advanced Fuel Cycle -- Cost Basis Report. Module D1-4: Nature of this module update (Rev 1) from previous advanced fuel cycle cost basis reports (AFCCBRs): new life cycle cost data on U,Pu SFR mixed oxide (MOX) fuels is derived from the Nonproliferation Assessment Systems Analysis Program (NASAP) conducted in the late 1970s. Highassay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) ceramic fuel is also discussed in more detail compared to earlier AFC-CBRs, since some advanced SFR concepts currently under development will require this HALEU fuel type for startup. Module D1-5: Nature of this FY-21 module update from previous AFC-CBRs: this module includes a few new references and a somewhat expanded discussion of vibrocompaction fuel fabrication technology. The WIT values for VIPAC are pegged directly to those for conventional LWR and SFR pelletized U,Pu MOX (note that this module now includes VIPAC MOX fuel for LWRs in addition to SFRs). Based on information from Russia, where VIPAC has been studied extensively, the unit costs are expressed as a percentage of those in the new updated Module D1-2 (pelletized U,Pu MOX) and new updated Module D1-4 (pelletized U,Pu MOX) for large NOAK fabrication facilities of the same production capacity. Since both ceramic pelletized MOX Modules D1-2 and D1-4 benefitted from analysis of 1970s NASAP data, by extension this Module D1-5 also benefits.
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
Equipment List Comparing Balance of Plant Containing a Heat Pump against a Reference Electricity Generating Plant
Approximately two-thirds of U.S. energy consumption in the industrial and transportation sectors relies on fossil fuels. These sectors require high-quality heat, i.e., thermal energy at very high temperatures, for molecular transformation processes. The Integrated Energy Systems (IES) program aims to assess the economic potential of utilizing nuclear-grade heat from Advanced Reactors (ARs) to meet the high-quality heat demands. By having industrial processes (IPs) supplied with nuclear-generated heat, manufacturers could benefit from more stable and potentially lower energy costs, reducing reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets. The main outcome of the FY24 research was the thermodynamic assessment and gap analysis of steam generation for IP applications. The study completed in June 2024 demonstrated that the required steam temperatures could be achieved by integrating a heat pump into an AR power plant. After identifying the thermal demands of target IPs, multiple balance of plant configurations for the Xe-100 reactor by X-energy, incorporating a heat pump, were analyzed. Their technical feasibilities were assessed, including the design of suitable axial compressors for these applications. Comparative performance analysis showed that thermal efficiency alone is insufficient to evaluate system suitability. To address this, a new indicator (heat factor) was introduced in the report released in September 2024 to quantify the low-quality thermal power needed to produce one unit of high-quality heat for the IP. Results showed that integrating heat pumps into Rankine cycles enables higher steam temperatures, though at the expense of increased thermal energy input. This report builds upon and completes the foundational work previously undertaken. It focuses on the design of two Balance of Plant (BOP) configurations, both based on Rankine energy conversion cycles: “Case 1”, which involves electricity generation only, and “Case 2”, which combines electricity and high-temperature heat generation for industrial use. For each configuration, a comprehensive equipment list was developed, detailing all major components such as turbines, compressors, heat exchangers, pumps, and control systems. These lists will serve as the basis for future comparative cost analyses, with the goal of assessing the number and type of components required to integrate a heat pump into the Rankine cycle and to establish a heat transport system capable of delivering thermal energy from the nuclear plant to an industrial facility. Using the constitutive equations presented in the June 2024 milestone, the operating conditions of all BOP components for both “Case 1” and “Case 2” were evaluated. These parameters—such as temperature, pressure, mass flow rate, and steam quality—served as the basis for calculating the associated thermal and mechanical power flows. The net power required from the heat pump to raise the steam temperature to the target level was also determined. The thermodynamic performance of the configuration was then assessed using the heat factor metric. The key outcome of this analysis is a comparative table that presents the equipment that was used in the “Case 1” and “Case 2” configurations. This study offers a preliminary comparison of the two designs, providing insight into the impact of integrating a heat pump in terms of component requirements and thermal efficiency. This equipment list, together with the evaluated operating conditions, also serves as a foundation for the economic analyses scheduled for the current fiscal year.
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
Improving Residential Building Simulations Through Large-Scale Empirical Validation
Residential building energy simulations are increasingly used for energy-efficient building design, codes and standards analysis, home certifications and ratings, utility programs, and technology assessments. Various software tools exist to perform residential building simulations, and these tools often use different models, inputs, and assumptions. This leads to inconsistencies that can undermine confidence in the predicted results. Validation of these tools can increase confidence by ensuring their accuracy and consistency. One way to validate simulation tools is through empirical testing, which compares predicted energy usage to measured utility billing data. This paper describes the process of data collection, data standardization, and empirical validation, and illustrates its use with our residential EnergyPlus (R)-based software. The data and process can be extended to other simulation tools and contribute to improving residential building simulations more broadly.
empirical validation↗
Technoeconomic Opportunity Analysis for Local Power Generation in Falls City, Nebraska
Falls City is a small community in Nebraska interested in understanding how energy from local energy systems could support the community's economic development planning. To address the current community needs and address the future energy demand technical assistance conducted through the Communities Local Energy Action Program (Communities LEAP) assessed the technical and economic opportunities of adding energy technologies to Falls City's municipally owned and operated electric utility system. The modeling performed considered the technical and economic feasibility of technologies using the System Advisor Model (SAM). The modeling explored three technology configurations using multiple years of historical weather and wholesale cost data (2015-2022 & a typical meteorological year), and two different wholesale escalation rates (0.3% and 2.5%). Wholesale energy prices were based on the Southwest Power Pool's (SPP) real-time energy market and the annual escalation rates of these rates based on historical SPP wholesale and national retail electricity price trends. Results from the modeling showed that at current CAPEX costs and SPP wholesale electricity costs no technology combination averaged across the scenarios run provide a positive net present value (NPV). External financial support, changes in market conditions, and additional revenue streams would help create more economically favorable projects. As conditions change re-evaluation may be necessary.
24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
Contamination of planets by nonsterile flight hardware.
The various factors about space missions and spacecraft involved in the study of nonsterile space flight hardware with respect to their effects on planetary quarantine are reviewed. It is shown that methodology currently exists to evaluate the various potential contamination sources and to take appropriate steps in the design of spacecraft ha rdware and mission parameters so that quarantine constraints are met. This work should be done for each program so that the latest knowledge pertaining to various biological questions is utilized, and so that the specific hardware designs of the program can be assessed. The general trend of specific recommendations include: (1) biasing the launch trajectory away from planet to assure against accidental impact of the spacecraft; (2) selecting planetary orbits that meet quarantine requirements - both for accidental impact and for minimizing contamination probabilities due to ejecta; and (3) manufacturing and handling spacecraft under cleanliness conditions assuring minimum bioload.
Wolfson, R. P.↗
The NASA-USPHS Health Evaluation and Enhancement Program
An exercise program was initiated to assess the feasibility of an on the job health evaluation and enhancement program, as well as to identify the factors which influenced volunteering, adherence, and effectiveness of the program. The program was utilized by 237 of the 998 eligible Federal employees, with a mean attendance of 1.3 days per week. Those who volunteered perceived a need for increased physical activity, felt they had sufficient time to participate, and derived subjective as well as objective benefits. Significant improvements were found in heart rate response to the standard exercise test, body weight, skinfold measurements, and triglycerides. A consistent relationship was found between subjectively reported effects of the program on work, health habits, and behavior, and improvement in cardiovascular function, based on treadmill performance. Numerous personal and programmatic factors influencing volunteering and participation were identified.
Durbeck, D. C.↗
The Economic Value of Remote Sensing of Earth Resources from Space: An ERTS Overview and the Value of Continuity of Service. Volume 1: Summary
An overview of the ERTS program is given to determine the magnitude of the benefits that can be reasonably expected to flow from an Earth Resources Survey (ERS) Program, and to assess the benefits foregone in the event of a one or two-year gap in ERS services. An independent evaluation of the benefits attributable to ERS-derived information in key application areas is presented. These include two case studies in agriculture-distribution, production and import/export, and one study in water management. The cost-effectiveness of satellites in an ERS system is studied by means of a land cover case study. The annual benefits achieveable from an ERS system are measured by the in-depth case studies to be in the range of $430 to $746 million. Benefits foregone in the event of a one-year gap in ERS service are estimated to be $147 to $220 million and $274 to $420 million for a two-year gap in ERS service.
Hazelrigg, G. A., Jr.↗
A multiple thruster array for 30-cm thrusters
A 3.0 m diameter chamber of the 7.6 m diameter by 21.4 m long vacuum tank was modified to permit testing of an array of up to six 30-cm thrusters with a variety of laboratory and thermal vacuum breadboard power systems. A primary objective of the Multiple Thruster Array (MTA) program is to assess the impact of multiple thruster operation on individual thruster and power processor requirements. The areas of thruster startup, steady-state operation, throttling, high voltage recycle, thrust vectoring, and shutdown are of special concern. The results of initial tests are reported.
Rawlin, V. K.↗
Assessment of the technology required to develop photovoltaic power system for large scale national energy applications
A technical assessment of a program to develop photovoltaic power system technology for large-scale national energy applications was made by analyzing and judging the alternative candidate photovoltaic systems and development tasks. A program plan was constructed based on achieving the 10 year objective of a program to establish the practicability of large-scale terrestrial power installations using photovoltaic conversion arrays costing less than $0.50/peak W. Guidelines for the tasks of a 5 year program were derived from a set of 5 year objectives deduced from the 10 year objective. This report indicates the need for an early emphasis on the development of the single-crystal Si photovoltaic system for commercial utilization; a production goal of 5 x 10 to the 8th power peak W/year of $0.50 cells was projected for the year 1985. The developments of other photovoltaic conversion systems were assigned to longer range development roles. The status of the technology developments and the applicability of solar arrays in particular power installations, ranging from houses to central power plants, was scheduled to be verified in a series of demonstration projects. The budget recommended for the first 5 year phase of the program is $268.5M.
Lutwack, R.↗
Laser Doppler velocimeter system simulation for sensing aircraft wake vortices. Part 2: Processing and analysis of LDV data (for runs 1023 and 2023)
A data analysis program constructed to assess LDV system performance, to validate the simulation model, and to test various vortex location algorithms is presented. Real or simulated Doppler spectra versus range and elevation is used and the spatial distributions of various spectral moments or other spectral characteristics are calculated and displayed. Each of the real or simulated scans can be processed by one of three different procedures: simple frequency or wavenumber filtering, matched filtering, and deconvolution filtering. The final output is displayed as contour plots in an x-y coordinate system, as well as in the form of vortex tracks deduced from the maxima of the processed data. A detailed analysis of run number 1023 and run number 2023 is presented to demonstrate the data analysis procedure. Vortex tracks and system range resolutions are compared with theoretical predictions.
Meng, J. C. S.↗
A multiple thruster array for 30-cm thrusters
The 3.0-m diameter chamber of the 7.6-m diameter by 21.4-m long vacuum tank at NASA LeRC was modified to permit testing of an array of up to six 30-cm thrusters with a variety of laboratory and thermal vacuum bread-board power systems. A primary objective of the Multiple Thruster Array (MTA) program is to assess the impact of multiple thruster operation on individual thruster and power processor requirements. The areas of thruster startup, steady-state operation, throttling, high voltage recycle, thrust vectoring, and shutdown are of special concern. The results of initial tests are reported.
Rawlin, V. K.↗
Urban construction and safety project
Technology utilization projects in the area of urban construction and safety included the following: development of undercarpet and baseboard flat conductor cables, flood insurance studies, tornado safety engineering, the Project TECH house at the Langley Research Center, assistance to the City of Atlanta in their environmental habitability and resource allocation program, and market assessment of a solid state diesel engine controller. The flat conductor cable and the flood insurance studies are given particular attention.
Hogarth, P. T.↗
Redundant system reliability analysis
Computer Aided Redundant System Reliability Analysis (CARSARA) program facilitates reliability assessment of fault-tolerance reconfigurable systems. CARSRA accounts for influences from transient faults and is used to model wide range of redundancy management strategies.
Masreliez, C. J.↗
Effects of Impurities and Processing on Silicon Solar Cells, Phase 3
Results of the 14th quarterly report are presented for a program designed to assess the effects of impurities, thermochemical processes and any impurity process interactions on the performance of terrestrial silicon solar cells. The Phase 3 effort encompasses: (1) potential interactions between impurities and thermochemical processing of silicon; (2) impurity-cell performance relationships in n-base silicon; (3) effect of contaminants introduced during silicon production, refining or crystal growth on cell performance; (4) effects of nonuniform impurity distributions in large area silicon wafers; and (5) a preliminary study of the permanence of impurity effects in silicon solar cells.
Hopkins, R. H.↗
Simulated propeller slipstream effects on a supercritical wing
To quantify the installed performance of high speed (M = 0.8) turboprop propulsion systems, an experimental program designed to assess the magnitude of the aerodynamic interference of a propeller slipstream on a supercritical wing has been conducted. The test was conducted in the NASA Ames 14-foot wind tunnel. An ejector-nacelle propeller slipstream simulator was used to produce a slipstream with characteristics typical of advanced propellers presently being investigated. A supercritical wing-body configuration was used to evaluate the interference effects. A traversing total pressure rake was used to make flow field measurements behind the wing and to calibrate the slipstream simulator. The force results indicated that the interference drag amounted to an increase of ten counts or about 3% of the wing-body drag for a two engine configuration at the nominal propeller operating conditions. However, at the higher swirl angles (11 deg vs. 7 deg nominally) the interference drag was favorable by about the same magnitude.
Welge, H. R.↗
The response of the Space Shuttle Orbiter graphite/epoxy sandwich panels to exposure to moisture and heat
The Shuttle Orbiter Payload Bay Door is covered with graphite/epoxy sandwich panels. Their interaction with ground environments causes a moisture absorption of approximately 1.0% by weight at the time of launch. During the reentry phase the temperature of the outer facesheets rises to 177 C and their moisture content diminishes to 0.65%. In this condition the facesheet strength deteriorates significantly. Also, desorption of moisture produces an internal pressure in the panels of ca. 345 kPa. The paper discusses the prediction of expected moisture levels in the constituent parts of the sandwich panels. It describes further the test program necessary to assess the residual strength of the facesheets and the internal pressure capability of the sandwich panels.
Zigrang, D. J.↗