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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 613 records · Page 34
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Performance Evaluation of the ThermoLift Natural Gas Fired Air Conditioner and Cold-Climate Heat Pump

ThermoLift is currently developing its Thermal Compression Heat Pump (TCHP™), a natural-gas driven air conditioner and cold-climate heat pump, which can provide space heating, water heating, and air conditioning simultaneously in a single device. The system has broad application as a combined heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) solution with the benefit of substantial energy, cost, and greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions. Unlike traditional vapor compression heat-pumps, the TCHP™ uses helium as a working fluid in place of high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants. The development effort has produced three iterations or generations of prototypes with advancement of the technology readiness level (TRL) from TRL-1 (TCHP™ Gen 1.0) to TRL-5 (TCHP™ Gen 3.0). In August of 2013, the US DOE solicited the submission of proposals through funding opportunity announcement DE-FOA-0000823, Building Technologies Innovations Program. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) subsequently accepted ThermoLift’s proposal to develop a heat pump system based on the Hofbauer cycle, a new cycle that supplants the Vuilleumier cycle and provided funding for prototype evaluation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). ORNL is a widely known research center for developing and evaluating building technologies. Through its Building Technologies Research and Integration Center, ORNL has unique capabilities which allows them to collaborate with industry and academia to advance building component technologies. The TCHP™ Gen 3.0 prototype was shipped to ORNL on July 23, 2018. After installation and integration of the heat pump into ORNL’s test facility and performing instrumentation validation and calibration, extended operation of the heat pump was achieved during continuous operation on August 6, 2018, and includes various heating and cooling temperature ranges and performance analysis. The Gen 3.0 prototype was evaluated at four “ambient” temperatures: −25°C, −8.33°C, 8.33°C, and 20°C, (−13°F, 17°F, 47°F, and 68°F) denoted as test points 1-4, respectively. For heating, cycle coefficients of performance (COP) at the four “ambient” temperatures were found to be 1.30, 1.46, 1.52, and 1.61, respectively. Furthermore, there is no capacity reduction as the inlet temperature to the cold heat exchanger (HX) decreases. The heating capacity delivered by the TCHP was found to be 12 kW at -25°C. Finally, this final report identifies measures for obtaining further efficiency improvements.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Drop Analysis of a Department of Energy Standard Canister Containing Fort Saint Vrain SNF– 24138

DOE manages over 300 types of SNF, many of which are located at the INL site. Managing this large variety of SNF for storage, transportation, and disposal poses a challenge to DOE. The Idaho Cleanup Project and INL are collaborating on the DOE SNF Road-Ready Demonstration (“Road-Ready Demonstration”), which will develop and demonstrate the designs, technology, processes, and regulatory framework for packaging DOE-managed SNF for “road-ready dry storage.” Road-ready dry storage (RRDS) is an SNF management concept in which SNF is packaged into dry, sealed canisters that are then placed in on-site storage in anticipation of later transport and disposition. The forward-looking goal of the Road-Ready Demonstration is to establish the foundation for a large-scale RRDS program at the INL site. One critical aspect of RRDS is the ability to certify the DOE Standard Canister and its associated transportation package in accordance with 10 CFR 71 for offsite transportation. Depending on the SNF type and transportation strategy, DOE Standard Canisters may be required to maintain structural integrity under hypothetical accident scenarios (e.g., drop events). The DOE Standard Canisters have been tested and analyzed under various SNF loading configurations and accident drop events in support of the Idaho Spent Fuel Facility and other DOE programs; however, no analysis has yet been completed in support of the recently initiated Road-Ready Demonstration. This paper presents preliminary results from a finite element analysis of the Ø45.7 cm × 4.6 m (Ø18 in. × 15 ft) DOE Standard Canister under the 9 m drop at 80 degrees off-vertical drop scenario considered in previous INL tests and analyses. It considers the Fort St. Vrain spent nuclear fuel loading configuration proposed for the Road-Ready Demonstration, uses updated material properties, and applies the strain-based acceptance criteria established in ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code’s Section III, Division 3 rules for storage and transportation spent nuclear fuel containments. This updated analysis is compared to previous DOE Standard Canister drop analyses. Preliminary results from the updated analysis show that certain regions of the containment exceed the allowable limits during the accidental drop event. However, these regions are limited to components performing a non-structural function. While further work on this analysis will be pursued, this analysis serves as the foundation for formal calculations used to support applicable certification efforts of the RRDS system at INL.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

Real-time Erosion-Corrosion Detection in Waste Transfer Pipelines using Guided Wave Ultrasonic Sensors - 18368

A Fitness-for-Service (FFS) program for the Waste Transfer System has been implemented by the United States Department of Energy Hanford Site Tank Farm to examine structural parameters of the waste transfer systems in order to develop erosion/corrosion rates for relevant system components. The FFS information is acquired from opportunistic evaluations of pipelines that have been removed from service. The objective is to deliver more realistic estimates to the remaining useful life of the components and incorporate those estimates into future design/testing plans across the DOE complex. To aid to this objective, previous efforts at Hanford included the installation of sensors on some of the POR 104 components, to provide real time pipe wall thickness measurements. Due to certain limitations, alternative approaches for remote permanently mounted pipe wall ultrasonic thickness measurement systems have been investigated by FIU. Present research work is a supportive effort by FIU-ARC for DOE and WRPS, which investigates the option for remote-permanently mount guided wave ultrasonic transducer (UT) systems for HLW pipe wall thickness measurements. Specific applications include straight sections, elbows and other fittings used in jumper pits, evaporators, and valve boxes. The proposed method will provide information that will assist engineers with understanding the failure potential of HLW transfer components due to corrosion and erosion. This information can assist in determining if and when lines need to be removed, saving time and resources on the unneeded excavation of transfer lines. This information will also assist engineers with designing new transfer systems by establishing more detailed/accurate guidelines governing the life expectancy of the transfer system and its components. In the previous work, FIU has investigated the use of various ultrasonic systems that are either commercially available or used previously at Hanford and selected the most promising systems for further evaluation. The down-selected system is the guided wave UT sensor system from Permasense which is a UK based manufacturer. It is an integrated wireless sensor network system which used a patented technology for the acoustic wave propagation and has proven applications in the oil and gas industries. Scope of the present research includes the initial verification and validation of the Permasense Guided Wave sensor system as a potential erosion/corrosion detection system for carbon steel pipelines under static conditions. In future, the real-time erosion/corrosion detection will be investigated by measuring the thinning of the pipe sections by circulating simulants and continuous monitoring. This is achieved by passing abrasive and caustic solutions through an in-house designed pipe loop system. Results obtained provide realistic wear rates on 2 inch and 3 inch carbon steel pipes with straight sections and elbows using the Permasense UT sensor system. Thus, the present research delivers solutions for sensor evaluations, conducts bench scale testing followed by data acquisition and analysis for corrosion and erosion assessment. (authors)

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

Integral and Separate Effects Test Facilities To Support Water Cooled Small Modular Reactors: A Review

This study reviews previous experimental facilities and test programs relevant to water-cooled reactor system design and analysis to meet regulatory compliances. This study aims to find the best solution for designing the required experiments, obtaining necessary test data, and verifying the developed computer code/models to support the new reactor design and development while minimizing cost and time while leveraging experiences from previous facilities to minimize. Nuclear reactor licensing requires supportive design, analysis, and experimental results to ensure the safety of the full-scale prototype reactor in regular operation, as well as during postulated accident scenarios. These reactor design analyses are generally performed using system codes and other associated simulation tools that require assessment, verification and validation using an appropriate experimental dataset. Experimental facilities used for reactor system safety analysis and system code assessments are categorized into integral effects test (IET) and separate effects test (SET) facilities. Further, these IET and SET experiments and studies use geometrically scaled systems to reproduce the prototype system behavior at a reasonable cost, albeit with some scaling-related distortions. The design challenge of these model facilities is to identify and minimize scaling distortions while reproducing the most important operational phenomena in steady-state operation and in postulated accident scenarios. Lessons learned from previous experimental facilities, models, and correlations can support the development of new multipurpose, scaled, hybrid, integrated, and modular experimental facilities for advanced light water-cooled small modular reactors (SMRs). Successful operation of these facilities can significantly reduce upfront reactor development and demonstration costs and time to deployment.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2015

The conduct of the united states department of energy nuclear criticality safety program hands-on training and education courses - 14621

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP), funded and managed by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), offers courses to educate nuclear criticality safety (NCS) engineers, process supervisors, and others, and to provide experimental, hands-on training addressing important characteristics of neutron multiplying systems. This training satisfies the American National Standard Institute/American Nuclear Society (ANSI/ANS)-8.26-2007 requirement for participating in hands-on experiments with fissionable materials and provides awareness and understanding of DOE Orders, Guides and Rules, ANS standards, and hazard identification techniques, as well as control design, implementation, and maintenance in criticality safety evaluations. Since the pilot course was developed in 2011, a variety of courses have been developed for NCS practitioners and process supervisors. Attendees have come from several US and international sites. Through NCSP international collaborations and relationships, students from the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in the United Kingdom, Atomic Energy of Canada, and the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety in France have participated in these courses in the US. Manager courses are available for process supervisors and operations managers with NCS responsibilities in their daily jobs. Manager courses are taught at Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) and the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC); they offer a combination of hands-on experiments and classroom discussions. A two-week course is also offered for NCS practitioners, with a week of classroom instruction at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) focused on generation of NCS evaluations, and a week of hands-on training utilizing the critical assemblies at either SNL or NCERC. Cleared students can attend the hands-on training at either SNL or NCERC, and uncleared students can attend at SNL. Courses continue to evolve and continuously improve as important elements of NCS evaluations (e.g., human factors, non-destructive assay (NDA) techniques, process criticality accident lessons-learned, and hand calculation methods) are integrated with criticality safety evaluation exercises. Courses include tours of process operations at SNL, NCERC, and LANL, and interaction with instructors experienced in conducting critical experiments and working in NCS. The NNSA NCSP provides management, funding, and technical direction for these courses and makes them available with no tuition cost to NCS practitioners. This paper provides a status report to the NCS community on the conduct of these courses and how they will likely evolve in the future. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Nuclear Data Sensitivity/Uncertainty Studies of Tantalum-Reflected Systems

Tantalum (Ta) is a refractory metal with high melting point and high corrosion resistance. This makes it useful as a mold material for plutonium casting operations. Unfortunately, there are few criticality benchmarks with high nuclear data sensitivities. Given that, it is desirable to design new experiments to provide additional validation data for nuclear criticality safety, which is the objective of the Thales project. Multiple application models were used to represent process conditions (either normal conditions or credible upset conditions) both at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Savannah River Site (SRS). A total of 40 application models were obtained. Given this, it was useful to down-select the number of needed application models. This work documents the down-selection based on several nuclear data sensitivity/uncertainty metrics. In addition to showing the result of the specific down-selection used for the Thales project, this work discusses potential ways to represent a large number of application models with a smaller number of proposed experiment designs.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Derivation of the Two-Exponential Probability Density Function for Rossi-Alpha Measurements of Reflected Assemblies and Validation for the Special Case of Shielded Measurements

Rossi-alpha measurements of fissionable assemblies are used to estimate the prompt neutron decay constant, α, of a system, which can be used to infer reactivity. Previous works have demonstrated that two-exponential fits for Rossi-alpha measurements of reflected assemblies are better than one exponential fits; however, the two-exponential probability density function that is needed to obtain α from the fit parameters has not been derived. This paper derives the two-region point kinetics model (two-exponential fit) for Rossi-alpha measurements, a generalization of the current, one region model (one-exponential fit). The new model is validated with measurements of reflected, fissionable assemblies (highly enriched uranium with k eff ≈ 0.95 and weapons-grade plutonium with k eff > 0.77) with α held constant. Here, the results show that the twoexponential model can (i) predict the constant α, and (ii) deconvolve α and the time a neutron spends in the reflector, neither of which is possible with the one-exponential model.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2016

Templating Routes to Supported Oxide Catalysts by Design

The rational design and understanding of supported oxide catalysts requires at least three advancements, in order of increasing complexity: the ability to quantify the number and nature of active sites in a catalytic material, the ability to place external controls on the number and structure of these active sites, and the ability to assemble these active sites so as to carry out more complex functions in tandem. As part of an individual investigator research program that is integrated with the Northwestern University Institute for Catalysis in Energy Processes (ICEP) as of 2015, significant advances were achieved in these three areas. First, phosphonic acids were utilized in the quantitative assessment of the number of active and geometrically-available sites in MO x -SiO 2 catalysts, including nanocrystalline composites, co-condensed materials, and grafted structures, for M=Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, and Ta. That work built off progress in understanding supported Fe, Cu, and Co oxide catalysts from chelating and/or multinuclear precursors to maximize surface reactivity. Secondly, significant progress was made in the new area of using thin oxide overcoats containing ‘nanocavities’ from organic templates as a method to control the dispersion and thermal stability of subsequently deposited metal nanoparticles or other catalytic domains. Similar methods were used to control surface reactivity in SiO 2 -Al 2 O 3 acid catalysts and to control reactant selectivity in Al 2 O 3 -TiO 2 photocatalysts. Finally, knowledge gained from the first two areas has been combined to synthesize a tandem catalyst for hydrotreating reactions and an orthogonal tandem catalyst system where two subsequent reactions in a reaction network are independently controlled by light and heat. Overall, work carried out under this project significantly advanced the knowledge of synthesis-structure-function relationships in supported oxide catalysts for energy applications.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2011

NNSA ASC Exascale Environment Planning, Applications Working Group, Report February 2011

The scope of the Apps WG covers three areas of interest: Physics and Engineering Models (PEM), multi-physics Integrated Codes (IC), and Verification and Validation (V&V). Each places different demands on the exascale environment. The exascale challenge will be to provide environments that optimize all three. PEM serve as a test bed for both model development and 'best practices' for IC code development, as well as their use as standalone codes to improve scientific understanding. Rapidly achieving reasonable performance for a small team is the key to maintaining PEM innovation. Thus, the environment must provide the ability to develop portable code at a higher level of abstraction, which can then be tuned, as needed. PEM concentrate their computational footprint in one or a few kernels that must perform efficiently. Their comparative simplicity permits extreme optimization, so the environment must provide the ability to exercise significant control over the lower software and hardware levels. IC serve as the underlying software tools employed for most ASC problems of interest. Often coupling dozens of physics models into very large, very complex applications, ICs are usually the product of hundreds of staff-years of development, with lifetimes measured in decades. Thus, emphasis is placed on portability, maintainability and overall performance, with optimization done on the whole rather than on individual parts. The exascale environment must provide a high-level standardized programming model with effective tools and mechanisms for fault detection and remediation. Finally, V&V addresses the infrastructure and methods to facilitate the assessment of code and model suitability for applications, and uncertainty quantification (UQ) methods for assessment and quantification of margins of uncertainty (QMU). V&V employs both PEM and IC, with somewhat differing goals, i.e., parameter studies and error assessments to determine both the quality of the calculation and to estimate expected deviations of simulations from experiments. The exascale environment must provide a performance envelope suitable both for capacity calculations (high through-put) and full system capability runs (high performance). Analysis of the results place shared demand on both the I/O as well as the visualization subsystems.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2019

SAM Code Validation using the Compact Integral Effects Test (CIET) Experimental Data

The primary objective of this study is to validate the system analysis code, SAM, using experimental data from the Compact Integral Effects Test (CIET) facility. The System Analysis Module (SAM) is an advanced and modern system analysis tool being developed at Argonne National Laboratory under the U.S. DOE Office of Nuclear Energy’s Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program. Originally aiming at supporting sodium fast reactor (SFR) design, it is now extended to cover other non-light water reactor (non-LWR) concepts, such as high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) designs, molten salt-fueled, and molten salt-cooled reactor designs. To support SAM code development for the wide range of non-LWR applications, it is of paramount importance to validate the code against experiments relevant to these reactor concepts. The Compact Integral Effects Test (CIET) facility, which was designed to reproduce the thermal-hydraulics response of fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactors (FHR) under both forced- and natural-circulation conditions, has been identified and selected as one of benchmark test facilities for SAM code validation. Among available CIET experiments, three sets of them with distinctive characteristics were selected for SAM code validation purpose. The three sets experiments are: 1) Power step change transient tests; 2) DHX-DRACS natural circulation tests; and 3) heater frequency response tests. For all tests, steady-state or transient, SAM-predicted results show very good agreement with experimental data. The successful validation of SAM against these selected CIET experiments demonstrates that the computer code is well suited for thermal-hydraulics analysis of FHR designs.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Waste Heat-to-Power Using Scroll Expander for Organic Rankine Bottoming Cycle

The objective of this program was to develop a novel, scalable scroll expander for conversion of waste heat to power; this was accomplished and demonstrated in both a bench-scale system as well as a full-scale system. The expander is a key component in Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) waste heat recovery systems which are used to convert medium-grade waste heat to electric power in a wide range of industries. These types of waste heat recovery systems allow for the capture of energy that would otherwise just be exhausted to the atmosphere. A scroll expander has the benefit over other technologies of having high efficiency over a broad range of operating conditions. The speed range of the TIAX expander (1,200 to 3,600 RPM) enables the shaft power output to directly drive an electric generator and produce 60 Hz electric power without incurring the equipment costs or losses of electronic power conversion. This greatly simplifies integration with the plant electric infrastructure. The TIAX scroll expander will reduce the size, cost, and complexity of a small-scale waste heat recovery system, while increasing the system efficiency compared to the prevailing ORC technologies at similar scale. During this project, TIAX demonstrated the scroll expander in a bench-scale test setup to have isentropic efficiency of 70-75% and operated it successfully for ~200 hours with minimal wear. This same expander was then installed in a complete ORC system driven by a medium grade waste heat source to generate 5-7 kW of electrical power. Due to funding constraints, TIAX was unable to complete this phase of testing, although the initial results were promising and demonstrated the potential of the technology.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2023

Building a Computational and Experimental Rapid Response Pipeline to Counter the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak and Emerging Biothreats

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the promise of monoclonal antibody-based prophylactic and therapeutic drugs, especially where protective candidates can be rapidly identified or developed for emerging biothreats and escape variants. Current cutting-edge technologies for this purpose still rely on pathogen-exposed convalescent volunteers and a large screening effort to find a proverbial needle in a haystack. Computational design of protective antibodies based on pre-existing templates skips those requirements and allows for greater control over the breadth and target epitope, while also co-optimizing for potency and developability or other biophysical characteristics. We approached this problem by building and expanding an in vitro experimental rapid antibody production and characterization pipeline to support development of an autonomous, closed loop, active learning software system based on structural simulation and ground truth experimental data to design and evaluate antibody antigen interactions. Starting from early in the pandemic, we targeted SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, by re-purposing neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-1 that had been identified in the wake of that outbreak in the early 2000’s. We successfully re-targeted three different anti-SARS-CoV-1 antibodies to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in vitro, where the antibodies were generated externally and tested through conventional binding and neutralization assays internally or with collaborators. As antibodies were identified from the blood of humans infected with SARS-CoV-2, we shifted to collaborate with academic partners to develop improved versions of their human-derived antibodies. This work reached its most important stage in rapid response to the emergence of the Omicron variant of concern (VOC) in late 2021. In a matter of weeks, enabled by on demand innovation to our screening pipeline, we computationally designed and experimentally characterized derivative antibodies of COV2-2130, one of two antibodies from Vanderbilt that form the basis of the AstraZeneca Evusheld prophylactic drug product. This drug product suffers a serious loss of efficacy against Omicron BA.1 and BA.1.1, the first Omicron strains. Due to tight integration of computational design and experimental evaluation, we were able to identify a pair of designs with potent neutralization of the main targets Omicron BA.1 and BA.1.1; but also the earlier Delta variant, and subsequent Omicron strains including BA.2, BA.4, BA.5, and BA.2.75, demonstrating that our multi-target design process can, by its nature, produce robust antibody designs that strictly improve over the parental antibody. These results, recognized by a 2022 Director’s Science and Technology award, have enabled the follow-on GUIDE program, to commence in FY23. While earlier design campaigns were substantially outsourced, we have engineered better and faster processes internally to better compliment, calibrate, and speed computational designs. As part of the follow-on GUIDE program, we will stand up a rapid and high-throughput antibody production and characterization facility staffed with the expertise and capabilities to foster our current collaboration across PLS and ENG as well as other partnerships toward computational design of biologics.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

New Developments in the Technology Readiness Assessment Process in US DOE-EM - 13247

A Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) is a systematic, metric-based process and accompanying report that evaluates the maturity of the technologies used in systems; it is designed to measure technology maturity using the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale pioneered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the 1980's. More recently, DoD has adopted and provided systematic guidance for performing TRAs and determining TRLs. In 2007 the GAO recommended that the DOE adopt the NASA/DoD methodology for evaluating technology maturity. Earlier, in 2006-2007, DOE-EM had conducted pilot TRAs on a number of projects at Hanford and Savannah River. In March 2008, DOE-EM issued a process guide, which established TRAs as an integral part of DOE-EM's Project Management Critical Decision Process. Since the development of its detailed TRA guidance in 2008, DOE-EM has continued to accumulate experience in the conduct of TRAs and the process for evaluating technology maturity. DOE has developed guidance on TRAs applicable department-wide. DOE-EM's experience with the TRA process, the evaluations that led to recently developed proposed revisions to the DOE-EM TRA/TMP Guide; the content of the proposed changes that incorporate the above lessons learned and insights are described. (authors)

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

Salt Sampling FY21 Technical Report

The goal of the salt sampling program at Argonne is to develop and deploy automated molten salt sampling approaches to enable high-precision in-process salt sample analysis to improve the timeliness of sampling-based accountancy measurements. Tools currently under development in support of this goal include (1) a modular vacuum sampler with an accompanying sample handling method for coupling vacuum sampling with high-precision at-line sample analysis, (2) a pneumatic sample generator that enables high-throughput sample analysis to improve the precision of existing analytical techniques, and (3) a windowless flow cell to enable on-line optical analysis of molten salt in a sampling loop. Compared to point sampling approaches (i.e., dip probes), vacuum sampling systems and on-line sampling loops facilitate access to a larger cross-section of a process fluid. This is known to improve the characterization of the process fluid by producing more representative samples and by enabling the analysis of a larger cross section of the fluid. A vacuum sampling approach for molten salts eliminates the risk of dross contamination of samples and avoids the use of moving parts in the salt. In FY21, two methods for integrating a vacuum sampler with a pneumatic sample generator were tested. These included direct fluidic coupling and coupling using a solid salt transfer mechanism. Solid salt transfer was ultimately selected over fluidic coupling, primarily to enable the transport of samples over longer distances to support automated at-line integration with high-precision techniques (such as microcalorimetry) that cannot withstand the extreme conditions near an electrorefining process. To facilitate rapid solid salt coupling, new mechanisms were developed for rapidly charging and discharging salt sample tubes at the vacuum sampler and pneumatic sample generator, respectively. While the charging mechanism will be deployed in FY22, the tube transfer method and discharge mechanism were tested in FY21. These were deployed at one of Argonne’s engineering-scale electrorefiners to implement at-line high-throughput pneumatic micro-sample generation capabilities. The method was used to generate precise uranium- and lanthanide-bearing electrorefiner micro-samples with the specific dimensions requested by researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory for use in testing their novel microcalorimeter x-ray techniques. The solid salt transfer mechanism proved not only to be an effective means of integrating the precision sample generator with vacuum sampling, but also improved the performance of the sampler generator. Because the modular sampling approach described here eliminates the need for new high-radiation sample handling capabilities, salt-wetted seals, salt-wetted moving parts, and heated transfer lines outside the electrorefiner, it will address most of the remaining technical challenges for the at-line deployment of high-precision analytical techniques. This will enable significant reductions in the time delay for sampling-based accountancy measurements by eliminating the need for manual off-line sample processing and analysis. On-line optical analysis of molten salt in a sampling loop would provide complementary information to at-line and in-situ techniques. In FY21, an open-aperture molten salt gravity flow cell with windowless optical access to flowing salt was successfully demonstrated. Future work should include the refinement and performance testing of the on-line and at-line sampling tools, integration of additional analysis techniques, stakeholder outreach and collaboration, evaluation of the integrated methods, and analyses to determine how the various tools might fit into an integrated safeguards monitoring system of unattended near real time monitoring tools.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Progress in Development of Fluoride-salt-cooled High-Temperature Reactors (FHRs)

Fluoride-salt-cooled High-temperature Reactors (FHRs) are a new class of reactors that use graphite-matrix coated-particle fuel with a clean liquid salt coolant. The largest university FHR program is an Integrated Research Project (IRP) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and others that is led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and includes the University of California at Berkeley (UCB), the University of Wisconsin (UW), and the University of New Mexico (UNM). The year 2016 was the fifth year of this program. We report herein some of the major results of work done in 2016. The base-line FHR concept studied in this IRP uses (1) graphite-matrix coated-particle fuel with a pebble bed geometry and (2) a clean liquid salt coolant-flibe (a mixture of {sup 7}LiF and BeF{sub 2}). The combination of a very high-temperature fuel with failure temperatures above 1650 deg. C, a coolant boiling point above 1400 deg. C, and a coolant that traps most fission products implies the capability to assure no major fuel failure under severe accident conditions. There are a family of FHR concepts using different fuel geometries and different fluoride salts. The power conversion system is a Nuclear Air-Brayton Combined Cycle (NACC) with peak power provided by natural gas or a Firebrick Resistance Heated Energy Storage (FIRES) system. This enables a base-load reactor to provide variable electricity to the grid that substantially increases revenue relative to base-load nuclear reactors. Most of the results reported herein are applicable to most FHR concepts as well as liquid-fueled molten salt reactors (MSRs)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Evaluation of Used Fuel Disposition in Clay-Bearing Rock

The DOE R&D program under the Spent Fuel Waste Science Technology (SFWST) campaign has made key progress in modeling and experimental approaches towards the characterization of chemical and physical phenomena that could impact the long-term safety assessment of nuclear waste disposition in deep clay/shale/argillaceous rock. Interactional collaboration activities such as heater tests, particularly postmortem sample recovery and analysis, have elucidated important information regarding changes in engineered barrier system (EBS) material exposed to years of thermal loads. Chemical and structural analyses of bentonite material from such tests has been key to the characterization of thermal effects affecting clay composition, sorption behavior, and swelling. These are crucial to evaluating the nature and extent of bentonite barrier sacrificial zones in the EBS during the thermal period. Thermal, hydrologic, and chemical data collected from heater tests and laboratory experiments has been used in the development and validation of THMC simulators to model near-field coupled processes affecting engineered and natural barrier materials, particularly during the thermal period. This information leads to the development of simulation approaches (e.g., continuum vs. discrete) to tackle issues related to flow and transport depending on the nature of the host-rock and EBS design concept. This report describes R&D efforts on disposal in argillaceous geologic media through developments of coupled THMC process models, hydrothermal experiments and characterization of clay/metal barrier material interactions, and spent fuel and canister material degradation. Currently, the THM modeling focus is on heater test experiments in argillite rock and gas migration in bentonite as part of international collaboration activities at underground research laboratories (URLs). In addition, field testing at an URL involves probing of fault movement and characterization of fault permeability changes. Analyses of barrier samples (bentonite) from heater tests at URLs provide compositional and structural data to evaluate changes in clay swelling and thermal behavior with distance from the heater surface. Development of a spent fuel degradation model coupled with canister corrosion effects has been centered towards its integration with Generic Disposal System Analysis (GDSA) to describe source term behavior. As in previous milestone deliverables, this report is structured according to various national laboratory contributions describing R&D activities applicable to clay/shale/argillite media.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2019

Earth Source Heat: A Cascaded Systems Approach to DDU of Geothermal Energy on the Cornell Campus

This report documents the completion of the DOE study DE-EE0008103: Earth Source Heat: A Cascaded Systems Approach to DDU of Geothermal Energy on the Cornell Campus. This study involved a comprehensive evaluation of the potential for Earth Source Heat (ESH), Cornell’s specific application of Deep Direct Use (DDU) geothermal energy, to create a viable renewable source of thermal energy for its Ithaca, NY campus district heating system. The study included stochastic modeling that married each of two potential subsurface resources (two specific geological reservoirs) to documented campus heating operations based on hourly campus heating profiles and proposed integrated equipment controls (variable speed pumps and heat pumps). The outputs of the subsurface modeling were used as inputs for a Cornell-developed surface heat use Excel-based modeling program (the program was named “Modeled ENergy Use”, or “MEnU”). This allowed Cornell to compute realistic annual totals of extractable and useable heat for the campus, including details like heat losses, minimum summer demand, and controllable building temperature settings. The Cornell team then evaluated the costs and benefits of each modeled scenario. The primary evaluation was a standard “single bottom line” economic calculation for the Levelized Cost of Heat (LCOH). This represents the annualized cost (per unit heat) for Cornell. Additional valuations were also computed based on the benefit to the environment and to the regional economy (i.e., economic benefits external to campus). The results of this study demonstrate that if suitable reservoir flow can be attained, Earth Source Heat would be a viable technology to supply Cornell’s district heating system. This viability is based on the following criteria: (1) The modeled system produced a total useable heat output that exceeded the minimum annual campus heat load determined at the onset of the project (i.e., offsetting at least 20% of the annual campus thermal load). The output range is substantial depending on both the subsurface resource and the surface applications; at the high end, our modeled solutions produced up to ~70% of existing campus heat load with a single well pair producing 70 kg/s with integrated high-temperature heat pumps, and (2) Modeling demonstrated that multiple geothermal reservoirs could provide economically viable results when heat pumps were strategically integrated, a design that has been proven in at least one European installation already. In this context, “economically viable” means that the LCOH for the project is less than the regional commercial price of heat that would be generated using natural gas (the most common and cheapest fossil alternative in our area). Based on a single-bottom-line (LCOH) valuation, our results show that economic success is likely for any reservoir deeper than about 2.25 km where a sufficient permeability exists (or can be created with stimulation or similar engineering enhancement) and reasonable production temperatures sustained over time. The LCOH values of $\$ 4.77$ to $\$ 6.46$ per MMBtu are all lower than the comparable cost of providing heat energy with a natural gas boiler for a facility in the Northeast U.S. that obtains natural gas at commercial rates (Commercial heat costs would include at least $\$ 9.41$ in fuel costs, representing total boiler/transfer efficiency of 85% using gas at $\$ 8.00$ per MMBtu; LCOH would be higher if capital equipment and other operating costs were included). In addition to LCOH, Cornell’s scope also included evaluation of the Environmental value and Regional Economic value of each scenario. When considering the environmental and regional economic value of such a project, the overall “triple bottom line” cost (i.e., the LCOH less the LCOH ENV and LCOH REG values) is even lower and in some cases negative; i.e., in some cases a project achieving the listed performance would have higher value to the environment and to the regional economy than the total project costs over the 30-year project timeframe.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Awe Bonner sphere measurements of the neutron leakage spectrum from the GODIVIA-IV critical assembly at NCERC - 14413

The US National Criticality Experiments Research Centre (NCERC) is home to several critical assembly machines that were relocated from Los Alamos National Laboratory in the last decade. The centre is sponsored by the Department of Energy's Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP), which has the mission to ensure the safe handling of fissile materials from a criticality perspective. Under the auspices of the NCSP, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is planning to host an international inter-comparison of nuclear accident dosimetry (NAD) using the Godiva-IV assembly at NCERC. The inter-comparison is motivated by a decline in the frequency of performance testing of NADs (both in the US, the UK and France) and the desire to modernize and harmonize dosimetry systems. A pre-requisite for the inter-comparison is the characterisation of the neutron and gamma-ray leakage spectra associated with the Godiva-IV assembly at NCERC. AWE provided its Bonner-sphere spectrometry capability to LLNL for two experimental campaigns, in November 2013 and May 2014, to measure the neutron leakage spectrum of the assembly in both a sub-critical 'steady-state' and a super-prompt-critical 'burst'. Nine points, at distances from 2 to 4 meters from the machine were measured with the Bonner-sphere spectrometer using both an active He-3 detector and a passive technique employing gold foils. This paper presents the spectra unfolded from the data and integral dose values, and compares these to previously published data. The limitations of the work and future plans are also discussed. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗