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DOE OSTI2022

Combined TREAT-LOC & SATS Integral LOCA Experiment Plan

The Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) loss-of-coolant (LOC) and highburnup (HBu) experiment series, along with the Severe Accident Test Station (SATS) HBu experiment series, are integral LOC accident (LOCA) experiments planned under the Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) program, which aims to support burnup extension needs by addressing identified R&D priorities in order to achieve an improved understanding of fuel fragmentation, relocation, and dispersal (FFRD) of HBu fuel during LOCA events. Priorities have been identified by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)’s Collaborative Research on Advanced Fuel Technologies (CRAFT) Fuel Performance and Testing Technical Experts Group (FPTTEG). The data produced under this plan will be used to further validate and confirm existing models and inform future R&D and model development. The experimental program was specifically developed to address data gaps and opportunities identified via detailed review of the existing public knowledge base on LOCA FFRD, as well as reviewing specific experimental development activities regarding prototypic LOCA conditions for light-water reactor (LWR) systems. The test program relies on a unique combination of in- and out-of-pile experimental approaches to provide a clear tieback to the existing integral and semi-integral LOCA experiment database, using state-of-the-art facilities. More importantly, the program will systematically investigate the impacts of prototypic HBu fuel/cladding thermomechanical behaviors under postulated LWR LOCA conditions not yet fully investigated. These conditions correspond with prototypic decay-energy heatup (DEH) and stored-energy heatup (SEH) conditions. First, TREAT’s unique capability will enable the first evaluation of the impact of SEH conditions on HBu fuels. The test program will emphasize the development of an improved mechanistic understanding of key phenomena through independent experimental systems, development of a database to support fuel performance modeling tools, world-leading advanced materials characterization, and the most advanced approach to in situ diagnostics ever deployed to evaluate FFRD. The results will represent a significant leap forward in evaluating prototypic conditions and novel data to support modeling development and validation, as well as to inform the technical basis for LOCA-induced FFRD.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Transport Modeling of As-Run ATR Cycles to Support U-10Mo Research Reactor Fuel Qualification Experiment

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Materials Management and Minimization has been tasked with converting the five remaining United States High Performance Research Reactors (U.S. HPRR) from highly enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulates Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR), Missouri University Research Reactor (MURR), and National Bureau of Standards Reactor (NBSR); and DOE regulates the High Flux Isotope Reactor and Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). To meet the high demands of these reactors, the U.S. HPRR program has chosen to use 90% uranium - 10% molybdenum (U-10Mo) monolithic fuel. This plate-type fuel will undergo multiple irradiation experiment campaigns in ATR, from mini-plates to full element tests, over a large range of operating conditions. This will provide data in support of the fuel qualification of each reactor. This summary focuses on the as-run neutronic analysis of the first series of mini-plate (MP-1) experiments, which have been irradiated in the ATR. MP-1 experiment’s main goal is to demonstrate the fabrication process and meet the fuel irradiation performance requirements with primary focus on the fuel plates associated with the three NRC reactors, with a small focus on the low power requirements of the ATR fuel. The MP-1 experiments are planned to be the basis of the monolithic U-10Mo fuel for qualification through the NRC.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Neutron Noise Analysis of the Neptunium Subcritical Observation (NESO) Experiment

The Neptunium Subcritical Observation (NeSO) experiment was a subcritical integral benchmark experiment. This experiment was designed in 2017-2018 and was performed at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) in 2019. Eight different subcritical configurations were measured with varying Nickel reflector thickness. For all configurations, a 3 He detection system was used to record neutron events. The focus of this work is to share neutron noise results of the measured data.

3-Helium↗

DOE OSTI2023

Gamma-ray Measurements from Neutron Pulsed Die-Away Experiments

Pulsed-neutron die-away experiments are a promising experimental method that complement criticality benchmarks for nuclear data validation. The experiments have several advantages that include compatibility with non-fissile material, low benchmark uncertainties, and high sensitivity to absorption and scattering cross sections. When validating thermal neutron scattering laws, small targets are desirable for their large sensitivity to the scattering cross section and angular distribution. Unfortunately, room return or scattering from a shielding box limits the use of the very small targets needed to maximize sensitivity to thermal scattering laws. To address this problem, we propose changing the observable of the experiment from leaked thermal neutrons to γ-rays produced by (n, γ) reactions in the target. If feasible, this change allows removal of the shielding box, achieving higher sensitivity to thermal neutron scattering laws. This study focuses on replicating benchmark pulsed-neutron die-away experiments with γ-rays. We compare the integral parameters with γ-rays to those obtained with neutrons. We also discuss experimental design choices such as detector placement, shielding, and the presence of Cd. The results show the integral parameter with γ-rays is sensitive to detector location with respect to the target when Cd shielding is present. In addition, while Pb shielding around the γ-ray detectors do not seem to affect the integral parameter, the presence of Cd shielding does and adds background γ-rays to the die-away curves making it difficult to calculate the integral parameter.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2023

Progress Towards the Reality of Low-Temperature Critical Experiments with Low-Temperature TEX

Integral benchmarks for criticality safety do not exist below room temperature. Incredible support for below room temperature benchmarks is present across the international community. Validation of low-temperature neutron cross sections is necessary to verify any operation at temperatures below room temperature which is typically observed in environments far from the equator. For example, a fissile material transportation truck may routinely observe ambient temperatures down to -40°C, which is the lower temperature bound of the normal conditions of transportation defined in the United States Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations §71.71c2. Similarly, the IAEA, which contains 176 member states, has the same requirement for subcriticality for fissile material transportation. Additionally, sub-room temperature benchmarks can validate newly produced cross sections, that include novel thermal scattering laws, from North Carolina State University. A six-case experiment designed based off the TEX-HEU baseline experiments has been proposed utilizing a chilled vacuum chamber capable of cooling the HEU stack down to -50°C. The six proposed configurations span the entire neutron fission energy range and can be tested at intermediate temperatures between room temperature and -40°C. Of the six configurations, the fastest case utilizes nearly 135 kg of HEU. Understanding the system is required prior to critical experiment operations. In order to test the functionality of the system, testing with surrogate fuel materials has been conducted. The following discusses the design of the low temperature TEX (LT-TEX) experiment as well as the progress made via surrogate testing towards a reality in which low-temperature integral benchmarks exist in the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP).

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Experiments and numerical modeling of surrogate droplet combustion for a 93 octane gasoline calibration fuel

Gasoline is the world’s most prolific liquid transportation fuel for ground transportation vehicles. Yet, a fundamental understanding of its burning characteristics is still lacking. Complicating this matter is the highly multicomponent nature of gasoline (comprised of hundreds of chemical species) and the seasonable variability of its composition due to variations in the crude oil feedstocks used in refining. The need to bring order to this complex problem has led to development of calibration fuels (Tier II in presented study) which on average will provide repeatable metrics that replicate performance of refined gasoline for various engine designs. This study presents results of experiments using the configuration of an isolated droplet to study the combustion dynamics of calibration fuel and three different surrogates (S4, S5, S6) for the calibration fuel. Droplet burning is under microgravity conditions, where gas transport is determined entirely by fuel evaporation in order to promote spherical symmetry in the burning process. The initial droplet diameters ranged between 0.55 mm and 0.60 mm. The droplets were spark-ignited and their burning histories were recorded by digital video cameras to obtain quantitative data. For each fuel, the evolutions of droplet, flame, and soot-shell diameters were measured to calculate the burn rates, flame-droplet diameter ratios (FSR) and soot-droplet diameter ratios. Additionally, a detailed numerical modeling is presented. This simulation includes multicomponent phase equilibrium, unsteady gas and liquid transport, radiative heat transfer, internal liquid diffusion and detailed combustion chemistry of different fuels during their burning process. Experiment results show that the calibration fuel and surrogates have a close burn rates and FSR, and S5 presents a relatively similar results with calibration fuel. Predictions from the numerical simulation using the surrogate are compared with experiment measurements, which showed a good agreement with the experiment results, including the droplet burning rate and FSR.

Guo, Songtao↗

DOE OSTI2023

Beam Dynamics Challenges in the Muon g-2 Experiment

The muon&s;s anomalous magnetic moment $a_{\mu}$ has hinted at physics beyond the standard model for nearly 20 years. The Muon $g-2$ experiment at Fermilab aims to measure $a_{\mu}$ to 140 parts per billion (ppb) precision. The 460 ppb result from its first data run (Run-1), released in 2021, agreed with the previous 2006 Brookhaven Muon $g-2$ result. The experimental average stands in tension with the standard model theory $a_{\mu}$ prediction by $4.2 \sigma$. The result of Run-2/3 data analysis is set be released in summer 2023, and will improve on the Run-1 precision by a factor of two. With the data collected in all six runs, the experiment is on track to produce a 140 ppb measurement of $a_{\mu}$. If the experiment and theory central values are both unchanged, the tension would exceed $5 \sigma$. The measurement is accomplished by injecting muons into a magnetic storage ring and precisely measuring two observable frequencies: $\omega_a$, the muons&s; anomalous precession frequency, and $\tilde{\omega}&s;_p$, the precession frequency of protons which determines the magnetic field strength experienced by the muons. This thesis presents a selection of muon beam dynamics effects which are critical for reaching the experiment precision goal. A system of detectors assists with the challenging beam injection into the storage ring, and a measurement of the injected beam provides input for simulating the stored beam dynamics. A new method is introduced to reduce a critical systemic caused by time dependence in the stored beam momentum, enabled by a detector which directly profiles the stored beam. Finally the analysis of $\tilde{\omega}&s;_p$, the muon-weighted magnetic field, for the Run-2/3 result is presented. Systematics of $\tilde{\omega}&s;_p$ due to beam effects are evaluated in detail, and shown to be sub-dominant.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Transport Modeling of As-Run ATR Cycles for U-10Mo Fuel Qualification Experiment

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Measurement of the muon anomalous precession frequency in runs 2 \& 3 of the Muon $g-2$ Experiment at Fermilab

This dissertation presents a measurement of the muon anomalous precession frequency for the Runs 2 \& 3 data of the E989 Muon $g-2$ Experiment at Fermilab. The muon anomalous precession frequency is one of two key inputs, the other being the magnetic field, used to precisely determine the muon magnetic anomaly, $a_{\mu}$. In April 2021, the E989 collaboration reported its first measurement of $a_{\mu}$ to an unprecedented precision of 460 parts-per-billion (ppb). This result is in agreement with the previous measurement performed by the E821 collaboration at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and the combined experimental value is in tension with the Standard Model prediction at 4.2$\sigma$, a possible hint of new physics. The first result from E989 was based on the Run-1 data, which was collected in 2018 and comprises 6\% of the experiment’s target statistics; the Run-1 result was statistics-limited. The Runs 2 \& 3 data were collected in 2019-2020 and constitute a four-fold increase i n statistics compared to Run-1 and consequently, a factor of two reduction in the measurement’s statistical uncertainty. This reduced statistical uncertainty, as well as continued understanding of systematic effects, will result in an even more precise measurement of $a_{\mu}$ and will help clarify the observed tension between theory and experiment. The precession frequency analysis presented in this dissertation includes a number of improvements compared to Boston University's Run-1 analysis: the implementation of a more robust pileup-subtraction procedure, the implementation of a kernel ratio method, the adoption of the statistically optimal asymmetry-weighted method, and investigations that led to an improved understanding of an outstanding residual slow effect. This dissertation motivates a measurement of the muon magnetic anomaly, describes the experimental principle, gives an overview of the E989 experiment, and presents a precession frequency analysis with full systematic unc ertainty evaluation for the Runs 2 \& 3 data. The combined precession frequency measurement, using the ratio asymmetry-weighted method, has a statistical uncertainty of 201 ppb and a systematic uncertainty of 25 ppb, constituting the most precise determination of the muon anomalous precision frequency to date.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Measurement of the Pion Exclusive Electro-Production Cross-Section in the E12-19-006 Experiment in Hall-C at Jefferson Lab

One of the most effective methods for exploring the transition from hadronic degrees of freedom to quark-gluon degrees of freedom in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is through the investigation of \exclusive" pion and kaon electro-production reactions at various Q2 and ?t values. The E12-19-006 experiment is conducted within the confi?nes of experimental Hall C at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, USA, for such studies. The primary aim of the experiment is to ?first enhance our comprehension of the pion electro-production cross-section and its form factor at Q2 = 0.38 and 0.42 GeV2. This is the fi?rst run period of the E12-19-006 experiment which ran in summer 2019. A more profound understanding of the pion electro-production reaction, 1H(e,e'?+)n, at low Q2 is deemed essential to employ this electro-production reaction (an indirect technique) for the high Q2 studies, thereby delving deeper into the realm of QCD. Consequently, this dissertation presents a thorough analysis of the experimental data acquired in the ?first run period of the E12-19-006 experiment. In pursuit of precision, a series of systematic studies (target boiling correction study, the elastic reaction cross-section measurements, study for determining vari- ous kinematics o?sets, etc.) are conducted to discern the accuracy of the analyzed data, a prerequisite for the use of Rosenbluth separation technique to separate the pion electro-production cross-section terms in t bins. The separated pion electro-production cross-section through the Rosenbluth separation technique is then used to extract the pion electromagnetic form factor. In this dissertation, the pion electro-production cross-section is carefully dissected into its four constituent components: longitudinal (?L), transverse (?T ), longitudinal-transverse (?LT ), and transverse-transverse (?TT ), using the full version of Rosenbluth separation technique for the Q2 = 0.38 GeV2. The technique is simultaneously fi?tted to the unseparated pion electro-production cross-sections at the three values of polarization of the virtual photon (?), i.e., ? = 0.286, 0.629 and 0.781. An iterative process is applied to re?ne the parameters of the model cross-sections until the yield ratio of experimental and Monte Carlo simulation converges. In this study, 21 iterations are conducted to re?ne the model cross-section parameters. The fi?nal pion electro-production cross-section terms are then determined for 7 t bins using the optimized parameters of the model cross-sections.

Kumar, Vijay↗

DOE OSTI2024

Neutronics analysis of Full Size Plate–1 Experiment using MC21

Qualification and testing of Low Enriched Uranium fuel is desired so that it can be used in research reactors instead of High Enriched Uranium. The Full Size Plate - 1 (FSP-1) experiment involves irradiating a low enriched metallic fuel in the Advanced Test Reactor to assist in this general qualification. Prior to irradiation, an in-depth neutronics analysis is needed to ensure the safety requirements of the Advanced Test Reactor are met. To accomplish this, the MC21 software was used to analyze the FSP-1 experiment, which will allow a test run to be performed with this new fuel in the Advanced Test Reactor Critical facility. By verifying and validating the results of the MC21 software with comparisons to other codes and the preliminary irradiation in the Advanced Test Reactor Critical facility, the FSP-1 experiment will be ready to irradiate using the Advanced Test Reactor. This work is concerned with the neutronics analysis of the FSP-1 experiment using the MC21 software.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Chlorine Validation through Critical Integral Experiments

An increased interest in the validation of chlorine nuclear data, specifically 35Cl, in recent years has led to the prioritization of conducting chlorine critical experiments for nuclear data validation and criticality safety evaluations. A previous experiment was conducted with PVC and CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) to reduce the margin of subcriticality for PF-4 operations with aqueous plutonium chloride solutions. Challenges in determining the composition of specific polymers, namely the CPVC, made it difficult to characterize, and therefore benchmark. Additional materials that were utilizable for chlorine validation were not immediately clear, as form, strength, purity, and composition are all important. A series of possible absorber materials were identified and studied, but ultimately granular sodium chloride was chosen. In addition to the needs of LANL’s PF-4 other industry collaborators have brought attention to the need for chlorine validation. Specifically, the need for HEU electrorefining with LiCl salts at Y-12 was taken into consideration for this experiment, with the experimental configurations being finely tuned to best meet their needs. Needs for validation were also presented by Idaho National Lab (INL) and TerraPower for validation of their Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE) and Molten Chloride Fast Reactor (MCFR) and have also been considered.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Hydrochlorination of Uranium Dioxide in a Molten Salt Mixture - Phase 1: Tube Furnace Cross Flow Experiments

In 2023, Metatomic® Inc., a South Carolina based company, was awarded a Gateway for Advanced Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) research voucher for a proposed series of experiments aimed at demonstrating the viability of a spent nuclear fuel (SNF) recycling process patented by Met atomic® Inc. For the GAIN voucher, Metatomic® Inc. selected Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) as a partner in executing the proposed proof-of-concept experiments. This report outlines the proof-of-concept experiments performed by SRNL for Metatomic® Inc. during Phase 1 (of 2) experimentation. The Phase 1 hydrochlorination experiments consisted of weighing UO2 into alumina crucibles with a eutectic mixture of NaCl and CsCl, heating the uranium/salt mixture to a varied temperature (550, 650, or 750 °C), and flowing anhydrous hydrogen chloride (AHCl) gas across the surface of the uranium-bearing molten salt mixture. The hydrochlorination process conditions were maintained for 4-5 hours and the percent conversion for each batch of UO2 was determined using a suite of analytical characterization techniques. The degree of UO2 conversion was found to be greatest at the highest tested temperature, ultimately achieving 32.9% conversion of UO2 to water soluble uranium-chloro species (e.g., UO2Cl2, UCl4) after exposure to AHCl for 4.25 hours at 750 °C.

Nguyen, Vinh T. [Savannah River National Laborator↗

DOE OSTI2025

Diagnostic Systems in the Muon $g-2$ experiment at Fermilab

The muon anomalous magnetic moment, $a_\mu=\frac{g-2}{2}$, is a low-energy observable which can be both measured and computed to high precision, making it a sensitive test of the Standard Model and a probe for new physics. This anomaly was measured with a precision of $0.20$~parts per million (ppm) by the Fermilab's Muon g-2 (E989) experiment. The final goal of the E989 experiment is to reach a precision of $0.14$~ppm. The experiment is based on the measurement of the muon spin anomalous precession frequency, $\omega_a$, based on the arrival time distribution of high-energy decay positrons observed by 24 electromagnetic calorimeters, placed around the inner circumference of a $14$~m diameter storage ring, and on the precise knowledge of the storage ring magnetic field and of the beam time and space distribution. Achieving this level of precision requires strict control over systematics, which is ensured through several diagnostic devices. At the accelerator level, these devices monitor the quality of the injected beam (e.g., verifying that it has the correct momentum), while at the detector level, they track both the magnetic field and the gain of the calorimeters. In this work the devices and techniques used by the E989 experiment will be presented.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2020

Constrained Bayesian optimization of criticality experiments

The design of criticality experiments is typically an iterative process that employs a Monte Carlo transport code. The goal is to find a design that optimizes some variable, like the sensitivity of a response to a cross section, while simultaneously ensuring criticality. The high fidelity of the Monte Carlo code is a great asset, but it makes exploring the design space computationally expensive. Herein, we present how a constrained Bayesian optimization algorithm can be used to efficiently design a criticality experiment. It uses Gaussian processes as a surrogate model to probe the design space and to reduce the number of code executions that are needed to find the optimum. Furthermore, we demonstrate constrained Bayesian optimization with a Pu-239/polyethylene solution system and a TEX experiment that is designed for criticality safety validation of a nuclear waste model at the Hanford Site. For both systems, a global optimum was found within 75 Monte Carlo simulations.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2025

Optimizing ablator thickness for laser shock experiments

In laser shock experiments, a well-defined, flat-top shock wave at the ablator/sample interface is important for accurately probing material response under uniaxial strain compression. However, the relationship between the ablator thickness and the resulting shock wave characteristics is insufficiently understood, limiting the ability to design optimal experiments. To address this need, we conducted a systematic experimental study using a 100 J laser to shock-compress polyimide ablators to peak stresses ranging from 20.4 to 111.6 GPa. Laser interferometry diagnostics measured the transmitted wave profiles at the ablator/sample interface, consistently showing a single jump followed by a constant peak state before the arrival of release waves. Here, by analyzing shock transit time, flat-top duration, and stress, our results establish a framework for selecting ablator thickness to maximize the flat-top duration, improving the precision and reproducibility of laser shock experiments.

design of experiments↗

DOE OSTI2020

A Generic High Bandwidth Data Acquisition Card for Physics Experiments

In high energy physics and nuclear physics experiments particularly the ones based on particle accelerator, the data rate from the detector is usually in the order of Terabytes per second. This high throughput data from detector front-end electronics need to be transmitted to the back-end computing farm for high level event selection and building. A Data Acquisition (DAQ) system with features of high-density, scalable, easily upgradeable is crucial to simplify the readout architecture of whole experiment. This paper will introduce the design of a generic high bandwidth PCIe card which can be used as the important input output card in a scalable DAQ system. It can factorize front-end electronics from data handling, and reduce amount of custom hardware in favor of scalable detectorindependent commercial hardware and software. Besides the 48 channels of bidirectional high speed fiber optical links with frontends, it also supports to synchronize with the experiment timing system, and to fanout the clock and trigger information with a fixed latency to the front-end electronics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Godiva Experiments for the Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)

Godiva IV is a fast burst critical assembly constructed of approximately 65 kg of highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel alloyed with 1.5 percent molybdenum for strength. Godiva is one of the last such critical assemblies in the United States, and can be used for studies of super-prompt critical behavior as well as irradiations and demonstrations. A demonstration of a Godiva burst is usually performed as a highlight of the hands-on portion of the Criticality Safety Training Classes taught at the National Criticality Experiment Research Center (NCERC). The Godiva burst is used to demonstrate the concept of super-prompt critical and the time-scale of a criticality accident. In addition, several NCSP projects have been conducted on Godiva IV over the past two years. One experiment focused on collecting data to support multiphysics simulations using Photo-Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) to measure surface movement and gamma detectors to measure the burst output as the burst develops from background to peak over ten orders of magnitude. Another experiment was performed to demonstrate the functionality of the Criticality Accident Alarm System (CAAS) system developed for installation in the Y-12 Uranium Processing Facility (UPF). The system must not only respond to a criticality event and alarm, but must also be shown to operate in a high dose environment.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗