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DOE OSTI2024

Testing biasedness of self-reported microbusiness innovation in the annual business survey

This study tests for potential bias in self-reported innovation due to the inclusion of a research and development (R&D) module that only microbusinesses (less than 10 employees) receive in the Annual Business Survey (ABS). Previous research found that respondents to combined innovation/R&D surveys reported innovation at lower rates than respondents to innovation-only surveys. A regression discontinuity design is used to test whether microbusinesses, which constitute a significant portion of U.S. firms with employees, are less likely to report innovation compared to other small businesses. In the vicinity of the 10-employee threshold, the study does not detect statistically significant biases for new-to-market and new-to-business product innovation. Statistical power analysis confirms the nonexistence of biases with a high power. Comparing the survey design of ABS to earlier combined innovation/R&D surveys provides valuable insights for the proposed integration of multiple Federal surveys into a single enterprise platform survey. The findings also have important implications for the accuracy and reliability of innovation data used as an input to policymaking and business development strategies in the United States.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2018

Performance of detectors used in measurements of radioactive materials deposited in tissues from intakes by wounds

In the care of people injured with wounds with incorporated radioactive material, the basic information is collected, using appropriate detectors, following procedures established in first aid protocol. The reliability of the data collected for medical treatment depends greatly on the metrological performance of the equipment, the experimental set up and the scenario of the occurrence of the accident. The methodology to evaluate the performance of the detectors use the comparison of the attenuation coefficient value of each radionuclide obtained by the attenuation curve of tissue-equivalent material to the theoretical value established by NIST in each experimental set up. The good performance was defined when the difference between the experimental and theoretical value is close to zero. The experimental set ups were chosen according to the types of possible measurements performed in the various scenarios of the radiological accident. The detectors used were Personal Radiation Dosimeter, IdentiFINDER2, Cadmium Telluride and Hyper Pure Germanium. Furthermore, the results for 241 Am showed better performance with HPGe and IdentiFINDER2 shielded. For the 60 Co the best performance occurred with the shielded and collimated IdentiFINDER2. For the 137 Cs, the HPGe detector presented the best performance.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2022

Analysis of the dependence of critical electric field on semiconductor bandgap

Abstract Understanding of semiconductor breakdown under high electric fields is an important aspect of materials’ properties, particularly for the design of power devices. For decades, a power-law has been used to describe the dependence of material-specific critical electrical field ( $${\mathcal{E}}_{\text{crit}}$$ E crit ) at which the material breaks down and bandgap ( E g ) . The relationship is often used to gauge tradeoffs of emerging materials whose properties haven’t yet been determined. Unfortunately, the reported dependencies of $${\mathcal{E}}_{\text{crit}}$$ E crit on E g cover a surprisingly wide range in the literature. Moreover, $${\mathcal{E}}_{\text{crit}}$$ E crit is a function of material doping. Further, discrepancies arise in $${\mathcal{E}}_{\text{crit}}$$ E crit values owing to differences between punch-through and non-punch-through device structures. We report a new normalization procedure that enables comparison of critical electric field values across materials, doping, and different device types. An extensive examination of numerous references reveals that the dependence $${\mathcal{E}}_{\text{crit}}$$ E crit ∝ E g 1.83 best fits the most reliable and newest data for both direct and indirect semiconductors. Graphical abstract

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2012

Analysis of the IFA-432, IFA-597, and IFA-597 MOX Fuel Performance Experiments by FRAPCON-3.4

Validation of advanced nuclear fuel modeling tools requires careful comparison with reliable experimental benchmark data. A comparison to industry-accepted codes, that are well characterized, and regulatory codes is also a useful evaluation tool. In this report, an independent validation of the FRAPCON-3.4 fuel performance code is conducted with respect to three experimental benchmarks, IFA-432, IFA-597, and IFA-597mox. FRAPCON was found to most accurately model the mox rods, to within 2% of the experimental data, depending on the simulation parameters. The IFA-432 and IFA-597 rods were modeled with FRAPCON predicting centerline temperatures different, on average, by 21 percent.

Phillippe, Aaron M.↗

DOE OSTI2013

Progress Letter Report on Bending Fatigue Test System Development for Spent Nuclear Fuel Vibration Integrity Study (Out-of-cell fatigue testing development - Task 2.4)

Vibration integrity of high burn-up spent nuclear fuel in transportation remains to be a critical component of US nuclear waste management system. The structural evaluation of package for spent fuel transportation eventually will need to see if the content or spent fuel is in a subcritical condition. However, a system for testing and characterizing such spent fuel is still lacking mainly due to the complication involved with dealing radioactive specimens in a hot cell environment. Apparently, the current state-of-the-art in spent fuel research and development is quite far away from the delivery of reliable mechanical property data for the assessment of spent fuels in the transport package evaluation.

Spent Nuclear Fuel Vibration Integrity↗

DOE OSTI2014

Offshore Wind Market and Economic Analysis: 2014 Annual Market Assessment

The objective of this report is to provide a comprehensive annual assessment of the U.S. offshore wind market. This 3rd annual report focuses on new developments that have occurred in 2014. The report provides stakeholders with a reliable and consistent data source addressing entry barriers and U.S. competitiveness in the offshore wind market. Available for download are both the full report and the report's underlying data.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2018

Failure Rate Estimates for Passive Mechanical Components

Fusion design projects that reach the stage of design reviews typically require reliability, availability, maintainability and inspectability (RAMI) assessments. While many kinds of reliability and maintainability data are needed for a wide variety of fusion components to quantify a RAMI assessment, one of the types of components requiring data is the passive mechanical component. Passive mechanical components can be items such as metal plates, rods, shafts, brackets, bolts, and other items. Generally these passive components tend to have low failure rates since they are simple designs, have no or few moving parts, and do not need control signals to perform their design function. However, there are no widely recognized datasets for such components, so analysts must use multiple datasets and judgment for failure rates. This report gives recommended failure rates for various failure modes of these components, and gives suggested failure rate multipliers to apply to these failure rates if they reside in harsh environments. If the component resides far from the tokamak then typical industrial failure rates would suffice. Components near the tokamak find conditions can be demanding; similar to those in a fission reactor containment building. Some component failure rates can be modified if the components reside inside the tokamak.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2019

Execution of Targeted Experiments to Inform BISON for ATF Materials: An Advanced Approach to Tube Burst Testing

This report describes a new, advanced experimental approach for testing tube specimens loaded by internal pressure. The approach allows conventional tube burst testing to be performed and employs digital image recording and analysis for conducting noncontact optic strain measurements. Section 1 provides a brief introduction and motivation for the project. Section 2 describes the selected approach and provides technical details regarding the modified experimental tube burst system: a commercial infrared furnace redesigned to support this work by adding two 50-mm- diameter optic ports to make the specimen visible during the burst tests, and a digital camera used to record specimen images, lens, and optic filters. Section 3 briefly analyzes a typical burst test and the digital image correlation dataset, recorded during the experiment, and discusses the experiment outcome including local strains along the tube specimen. Additionally, section 3 focuses on the issues influencing the in situ strain measurement accuracy and final results and suggests changes in the experimental scheme to improve data quality and reliability. The conclusion summarizes the work performed to date and discusses possible future activity.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Winter Storm Elliott: Energy Emergency Alert Lessons Learned

Power blackouts in the United States in 2022 highlighted the need for better communication and planning among power grid stakeholders. This need was further demonstrated at a 2021 workshop held by the Grid Reliability Initiative Utilizing Data Standardization (GRIDS) Project. The GRIDS Project was established to understand and address the gaps in communication between the transmission and distribution operators. With the ongoing energy transition including electrification, distributed energy resource penetration, and so on, this project aims for improved energy emergency communications at the transmission-distribution interface. In 2022, Winter Storm Elliott affected 60% of the United States population (Weather Underground 2022), resulting in rolling blackouts in many areas of the eastern United States (Knoxville Utilities Board [KUB] 2023). Information presented here is based on the GRIDS workshop findings and subsequent research and interviews with stakeholders. After a brief summary of the effects of Winter Storm Elliott, this report covers the standard energy emergency communications processes currently in use, how the storm affected power management operations for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and its local utility companies, and related experiences in other states. The report concludes with lessons learned and recommendations for improvements and a path forward.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2024

Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification Considerations for Carbon Dioxide Removal

The project investigates Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) methods for Enhanced Weathering and Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR) technologies. Enhanced Weathering accelerates natural mineral processes to capture CO2, while mCDR leverages oceanic processes for carbon sequestration. The study focuses on developing standardized MRV protocols, assessing environmental impacts, and evaluating the scalability and economic feasibility of these carbon sequestration methods. The goal is to ensure reliable and transparent data for validating and improving CO2 removal technologies.

Priyadarshini↗

DOE OSTI2025

Assessment of North Slope of Alaska (NSA) Snow Monitoring Arrays

Arrays of instruments for monitoring winter precipitation (snowfall) and snow cover on the ground installed in 2017 at the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s North Slope of Alaska (NSA) C1 and at Oliktok Point sites became operational in 2018. In 2022, the instruments from Oliktok Point were moved to NSA E12, about 5.4 km south of NSA C1, where two arrays now operate. The instrument arrays monitor wind speed and direction, snow depth at multiple locations, the horizontal flux of blowing snow, and the number and fall speed of hydrometeors. The arrays are monitored using digital cameras. Collectively, the instruments produce a wealth of data on falling and accumulated snow, but, as with any instrument array, some data are more reliable and accurate than others. In this document, we present our findings on the efficacy, accuracy, and reliability of each type of instrument. Overall, a key finding is that no single instrument provides sufficient information to determine the source of falling snow particles nor the cause of changes in snow depth. However, if used in concert, the instruments produce a reliable understanding of the processes affecting the snow cover depth distribution and the true winter precipitation.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2025

Adoption of AI in the Utility T&D Sector: Use Cases, Consequence, Assessment and Benefits

Digital transformation and utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) in the electric grid are fundamentally changing the industry’s approach to common problems and enabling a broader paradigm shift in grid planning and operations. The change in approach is circularly both enabling and driving modernization, with load growth and reliable management of data center and AI infrastructure shifting away from planning approaches with relatively predictable behaviors and toward a mix of consumer and industrial choices that surpass human cognitive abilities to process. This movement has potential to condition humans to not understand the system on which the AI depends, while requiring it for development of the necessary infrastructure. Approaches which would address most likely grid conditions and events, such as faults, aging of equipment, and weather, now must also account for large loads which shift not based upon weather or time of day, but the computational load. Quantifying computational load is independent of the traditional grid forecasting variables, where a data center’s aggregate load is determined by user and AI system behavior and decoupled from normal grid planning and operations. AI is both the cause and solution for these challenges, with new grid planning tools integrating massive amounts of decisions into frameworks.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2025

Summary of FY25 activities on the project Realistic Reaction Evaluations for Fission Products Off Stability (RREFPOS)

Applications such nonproliferation, post-detonation forensics, spent-fuel assay, reactor burnup and design, as well as astrophysics, rely on the accurate description of the neutron interaction with unstable fission products. Current neutron-induced cross-section descriptions for these nuclei are either non-existent or based on simplified assumptions, leading to unquantified impacts on predicted cross-sections. The goal of the Realistic Reaction Evaluations for Fission Products Off Stability (RREFPOS) project is to develop a reproducible methodology leading to a more predictive and realistic new set of evaluated nuclear data, improving the reliability of applications involving fission products off stability. The current report documents the activities related to the RREFPOS project in its first year, corresponding to the Fiscal Year of 2025 (FY25).

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2021

ClimateNet: an expert-labeled open dataset and deep learning architecture for enabling high-precision analyses of extreme weather

Abstract. Identifying, detecting, and localizing extreme weather events is a crucial first step in understanding how they may vary under different climate change scenarios. Pattern recognition tasks such as classification, object detection, and segmentation (i.e., pixel-level classification) have remained challenging problems in the weather and climate sciences. While there exist many empirical heuristics for detecting extreme events, the disparities between the output of these different methods even for a single event are large and often difficult to reconcile. Given the success of deep learning (DL) in tackling similar problems in computer vision, we advocate a DL-based approach. DL, however, works best in the context of supervised learning – when labeled datasets are readily available. Reliable labeled training data for extreme weather and climate events is scarce. We create “ClimateNet” – an open, community-sourced human-expert-labeled curated dataset that captures tropical cyclones (TCs) and atmospheric rivers (ARs) in high-resolution climate model output from a simulation of a recent historical period. We use the curated ClimateNet dataset to train a state-of-the-art DL model for pixel-level identification – i.e., segmentation – of TCs and ARs. We then apply the trained DL model to historical and climate change scenarios simulated by the Community Atmospheric Model (CAM5.1) and show that the DL model accurately segments the data into TCs, ARs, or “the background” at a pixel level. Further, we show how the segmentation results can be used to conduct spatially and temporally precise analytics by quantifying distributions of extreme precipitation conditioned on event types (TC or AR) at regional scales. The key contribution of this work is that it paves the way for DL-based automated, high-fidelity, and highly precise analytics of climate data using a curated expert-labeled dataset – ClimateNet. ClimateNet and the DL-based segmentation method provide several unique capabilities: (i) they can be used to calculate a variety of TC and AR statistics at a fine-grained level; (ii) they can be applied to different climate scenarios and different datasets without tuning as they do not rely on threshold conditions; and (iii) the proposed DL method is suitable for rapidly analyzing large amounts of climate model output. While our study has been conducted for two important extreme weather patterns (TCs and ARs) in simulation datasets, we believe that this methodology can be applied to a much broader class of patterns and applied to observational and reanalysis data products via transfer learning.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2011

Ultra-Short Electron Bunch and X-Ray Temporal Diagnostics with an X-Band Transverse Deflector

The measurement of ultra-short electron bunches on the femtosecond time scale constitutes a very challenging problem. In X-ray free-electron laser facilities such as the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), generation of sub-ten femtosecond X-ray pulses is possible, and some efforts have been put into both ultra-short electron and X-ray beam diagnostics. Here we propose a single-shot method using a transverse rf deflector (X-band) after the undulator to reconstruct both the electron bunch and X-ray temporal profiles. Simulation studies show that about 1 fs (rms) time resolution may be achievable in the LCLS and is applicable to a wide range of FEL wavelengths and pulse lengths. The jitter, resolution and other related issues will be discussed. The successful operation of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), with its capability of generating free-electron laser (FEL) X-ray pulses from a few femtoseconds (fs) up to a few hundred fs, opens up vast opportunities for studying atoms and molecules on this unprecedented ultrashort time scale. However, tremendous challenges remain in the measurement and control of these ultrashort pulses with femtosecond precision, for both the electron beam (e-beam) and the X-ray pulses. For ultrashort e-beam bunch length measurements, a standard method has been established at LCLS using an S-band radio-frequency (rf) deflector, which works like a streak camera for electrons and is capable of resolving bunch lengths as short as {approx} 10 fs rms. However, the e-beam with low charges of 20 pC at LCLS, which is expected to be less than 10 fs in duration, is too short to be measured using this transverse deflector. The measurement of the electron bunch length is helpful in estimating the FEL X-ray pulse duration. However, for a realistic beam, such as that with a Gaussian shape or even a spiky profile, the FEL amplification varies along the bunch due to peak current or emittance variation. This will cause differences between the temporal shape or duration of the electron bunch and the X-ray pulse. Initial experiments at LCLS have revealed that characterization of the X-ray pulse duration on a shot-by-shot basis is critical for the interpretation of the data. However, a reliable x-ray pulse temporal diagnostic tool is not available so far at the LCLS. We propose a novel method in this paper to characterize the FEL X-ray pulse duration and shape. A transverse rf deflector is used in conjunction with an e-beam energy spectrometer, located after the FEL undulator. By measuring the difference in the e-beam longitudinal phase space between FEL-on and FEL-off, we can obtain the time-resolved energy loss and energy spread induced from the FEL radiation, allowing the FEL X-ray temporal shape to be reconstructed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2011

U31: Vehicle Stability and Dynamics: Electronic Stability Control

A team led by NTRCI is working to improve the roll and yaw stability of heavy duty combination trucks through developing stability algorithms, assembling demonstration hardware, and investigating robust wireless communication. Modern electronic stability control (ESC) products automatically slow a vehicle rounding a corner too quickly or apply individual brakes when necessary to improve the steering characteristics of a vehicle. Air brake systems in North America provide no electronic communication between a tractor and semitrailer, limiting the degree to which control systems can be optimized. Prior research has demonstrated stability improvements where dynamic measurements and control commands are communicated between units of a vehicle. Three related activities were undertaken: (1) Develop an algorithm for the optimum yaw and roll control of a combination vehicle. Vehicle state parameters needed to control the vehicle and the proper brake response were determined. An integrated stability control for the tractor and semitrailer requires communication between the two units. Dynamic models were used to assess the algorithm. (2) Implement the ESC algorithm in the laboratory. Hardware components suitable for the harsh environment for measurement, sensor-to-controller communication, and semitrailer-to-tractor communication and brake actuation were specified and assembled as a working system. The goal was to collect the needed vehicle state information, transmit the information to the ESC system, and then actuate the brakes in response to controller commands. (3) Develop a wireless network with the data rate and reliability necessary to communicate dynamic signals for a vehicle stability control system. Adaptive connectivity-aware, multi-hop routing was selected because it can perform in the harsh environment where packet collisions and fading often will exist. The protocol is to give high priority to urgent messages.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2012

Combined Effects of Gravity, Bending Moment, Bearing Clearance, and Input Torque on Wind Turbine Planetary Gear Load Sharing: Preprint

This computational work investigates planetary gear load sharing of three-mount suspension wind turbine gearboxes. A three dimensional multibody dynamic model is established, including gravity, bending moments, fluctuating mesh stiffness, nonlinear tooth contact, and bearing clearance. A flexible main shaft, planetary carrier, housing, and gear shafts are modeled using reduced degrees-of-freedomthrough modal compensation. This drivetrain model is validated against the experimental data of Gearbox Reliability Collaborative for gearbox internal loads. Planet load sharing is a combined effect of gravity, bending moment, bearing clearance, and input torque. Influences of each of these parameters and their combined effects on the resulting planet load sharing are investigated. Bendingmoments and gravity induce fundamental excitations in the rotating carrier frame, which can increase gearbox internal loads and disturb load sharing. Clearance in carrier bearings reduces the bearing load carrying capacity and thus the bending moment from the rotor can be transmitted into gear meshes. With bearing clearance, the bending moment can cause tooth micropitting and can induce planetbearing fatigue, leading to reduced gearbox life. Planet bearings are susceptible to skidding at low input torque.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2013

Choked-Flow Inlet Orifice Bubbler for Creating Small Bubbles in Mercury

Pressure waves created in liquid mercury pulsed spallation targets like the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, induce cavitation damage on the target container. The cavitation damage is thought to limit the lifetime of the target for power levels at and above 1 MW. One way to mitigate the damage would be to absorb the pressure pulse energy into a dispersed population of small bubbles, however, creating a bubble size distribution that is sufficiently large and disperse in mercury is challenging due to the high surface tension. Also, measuring the population is complicated by the opacity and the high level of turbulent mixing. Recent advances in bubble diagnostics by batch sampling the mercury made it possible to compare bubble populations for different techniques in a SNS-1/20th scale test loop. More than 10 bubblers were tested and the most productive bubblers were taken for in-beam testing at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) WNR user facility. One bubbler design, referred to as the inlet-orifice bubbler, that showed moderate success in creating populations also has an added advantage that it could easily be included in the existing SNS full-scale mercury target configuration. Improvements to the bubbler were planned including a reduction of the nozzle size to choke the gas injection, thus steadying the injected mass flow and allowing multiple nozzles to work off of a common plenum. For the first time, reliable bubble population data are available in the prototypical target geometry and can be compared with populations that mitigated cavitation damage. This paper presents those experimental results.

mercury bubbles SNS cavitation damage mitigation e↗