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At least 703 records · Page 39

Incorporating Equipment Condition Assessment in Risk Monitors for Advanced Small Modular Reactors

Advanced small modular reactors (aSMRs) can complement the current fleet of large light-water reactors in the USA for baseload and peak demand power production and process heat applications (e.g., water desalination, shale oil extraction, hydrogen production). The day-to-day costs of aSMRs are expected to be dominated by operations and maintenance (O&M); however, the effect of diverse operating missions and unit modularity on O&M is not fully understood. These costs could potentially be reduced by optimized scheduling, with risk-informed scheduling of maintenance, repair, and replacement of equipment. Currently, most nuclear power plants have a “living” probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), which reflects the as-operated, as-modified plant and combine event probabilities with population-based probability of failure (POF) for key components. “Risk monitors” extend the PRA by incorporating the actual and dynamic plant configuration (equipment availability, operating regime, environmental conditions, etc.) into risk assessment. In fact, PRAs are more integrated into plant management in today’s nuclear power plants than at any other time in the history of nuclear power. However, population-based POF curves are still used to populate fault trees; this approach neglects the time-varying condition of equipment that is relied on during standard and non-standard configurations. Equipment condition monitoring techniques can be used to estimate the component POF. Incorporating this unit-specific estimate of POF in the risk monitor can provide a more accurate estimate of risk in different operating and maintenance configurations. This enhanced risk assessment will be especially important for aSMRs that have advanced component designs, which don’t have an available operating history to draw from, and often use passive design features, which present challenges to PRA. This paper presents the requirements and technical gaps for developing a framework to integrate unit-specific estimates of POF into risk monitors, resulting in enhanced risk monitors that support optimized operation and maintenance of aSMRs.

Advanced Small Modular Reactors↗

Remote Monitoring and Evaluation of Damage at a Decommissioned Nuclear Facility Using Acoustic Emission

Reinforced concrete systems used in the construction of nuclear reactor buildings, spent fuel pools, and related nuclear facilities are subject to degradation over time. Corrosion of steel reinforcement and thermal cracking are potential degradation mechanisms that adversely affect durability. Remote monitoring of such degradation can be used to enable informed decision making for facility maintenance operations and projecting remaining service life. Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring has been successfully employed for the detection and evaluation of damage related to cracking and material degradation in laboratory settings. This paper describes the use of AE sensing systems for remote monitoring of active corrosion regions in a decommissioned reactor facility for a period of approximately one year. In parallel, a representative block was cut from a wall at a similar nuclear facility and monitored during an accelerated corrosion test in the laboratory. Electrochemical measurements were recorded periodically during the test to correlate AE activity to quantifiable corrosion measurements. The results of both investigations demonstrate the feasibility of using AE for corrosion damage detection and classification as well as its potential as a remote monitoring technique for structural condition assessment and prognosis of aging structures.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Sandwich Hybridization Assay for In Situ Real-Time Cyanobacterial Detection and Monitoring: A Review

As cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom (cHAB) events increase in scale, severity, frequency, and duration around the world, rapid and accurate monitoring and characterization tools have become critically essential for regulatory and management decision-making. The composition of cHAB-forming cyanobacteria community can change significantly over time and space and be altered by sample preservation and transportation, making in situ monitoring necessary to obtain real-time and localized information. Sandwich hybridization assay (SHA) utilizes capture oligonucleotide probes for sensitive detection of target-specific nucleic acid sequences. As an amplification-free molecular biology technology, SHA can be adapted for in-situ, real-time or near real-time detection and qualitatively or semi-quantitatively monitoring of cHAB-forming cyanobacteria, owing to its characteristics such as being rapid, portable, inexpensive, and amenable to automation, high sensitivity, specificity and robustness, and multiplexing (i.e., detecting multiple targets simultaneously). Despite its successful application in the monitoring of marine and freshwater phytoplankton, there is still room for improvement. The ability to identify a cHAB community rapidly would decrease delays in cyanotoxin analyses, reduce costs, and increase sample throughput, allowing for timely actions to improve environmental and human health and the understanding of short- and long-term bloom dynamics. Real-time detection and quantitation of HAB-forming cyanobacteria is essential for improving environmental and public health and reducing associated costs. We review and propose to apply SHA for in situ cHABs monitoring.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Multi-Wavelength Based Optical Density Sensor for Autonomous Monitoring of Microalgae

A multi-wavelength based optical density sensor unit was designed, developed, and evaluated to monitor microalgae growth in real time. The system consisted of five main components including (1) laser diode modules as light sources (2) photodiodes as detectors, (3) driver circuit, (4) flow cell and (5) sensor housing temperature controller. The sensor unit was designed to be integrated into any microalgae culture system for both real time and non-real time optical density measurements and algae growth monitoring applications. It was shown that the sensor unit was capable of monitoring the dynamics and physiological changes of the microalgae culture in real-time. Algae biomass concentration was accurately estimated with optical density measurements at 650, 685 and 780 nm wavelengths used by the sensor unit. The sensor unit was able to monitor cell concentration as high as 1.05 g L -1 (1.51x10 8 cells mL -1 ) during the culture growth without any sample preparation for the measurements. Since high cell concentrations do not need to be diluted using the sensor unit, the system has the potential to be used in industrial microalgae cultivation systems for real time monitoring and control applications that can lead to improved resource use efficiency.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Wearable Biosensor Monitor to Support Autonomous Crew Health and Readiness to Perform

For future human exploration missions, NASA needs a health monitoring system composed of hardware that is compact, fully interoperable with an integrated data management system, and requires minimal consumables. Such a system will be achieved through the integration of small, easy to use biomedical sensors that will have the ability to measure, store and transmit physiological parameters during operational and ambulatory activity. Since 2012, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has been active in funding the development of wearable biomonitoring sensors. The Astroskin is the first prototype and consists of a shirt-based garment and headband with embedded sensors, and associated software and technology that measure vital signs, sleep quality and activity level of the wearer. NASA and CSA have been collaborating since 2014 to test and validate this system in a lab environment at Ames Research Center and more recently in the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) located at Johnson Spaceflight Center. Specific objectives of the HERA study were: 1) to assess the performance of the Astroskin biosensor system for long-term health monitoring (24-hours) capabilities and during exercise as a measure of crew fitness; 2) to obtain crew feedback on comfort and usability of the Astroskin system; 3) to demonstrate performance of Bluetooth communication during real-time transmission and for verification of data in this environment; and 4) to obtain baseline data for further development of algorithms and tools that facilitate decision support for diagnosing and monitoring of a sick or injured crewmember. HERA Campaign 3 included four missions (each 30-days in duration) with four crewmembers assigned to each mission. A total of 9 men and 7 women participated in the Astroskin evaluation that included continuous physiological monitoring (24-hours) on mission days MD-11, MD1 (high workload), MD15 (low workload), MD19, MD29, and MD+7. Mission days 19 and 29 also included 30 minutes of sub-maximal exercise on a cycle ergometer. Following each 24-hour monitoring session crew physiological data were downloaded to laptops and each crewmember completed a 28 question survey on their experiences with the Astroskin hardware and software. This presentation will focus on lessons learned from the HERA missions. Specifically it will address Astroskin system performance in terms of data loss and data quality (no comparison to lab standard devices), wireless communication with the onboard mobile device, crew usability and comfort, and future development of a next generation biomonitoring system.

crew fitness↗

Analysis of Pilot Monitoring Skills and a Review of Training Effectiveness

The commercial aviation industry world-wide has identified a need for improved pilot monitoring and awareness (e.g., FAA, 2013, ICAO, 2016). More specifically, aviation safety data indicate that failures in pilots’ flight path management (FPM) monitoring and awareness have contributed to a range of undesired outcomes: accidents, major upsets, and non-compliance with air traffic control (ATC) guidance. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has further stated that these types of FPM failures are likely to worsen with the increasingly complex air traffic control systems and FPM concepts proposed for NextGen (https://www.faa. gov/nextgen/what_is_nextgen/) operations (e.g., see Hah et al., 2017). Adding to this complexity is the introduction of increasingly automated aircraft systems that can increase monitoring burdens. One potential mitigation for this situation is to enhance pilot training for effective monitoring. NASA Ames Research Center was asked to identify and evaluate training approaches that have the potential to enhance pilots’ ability to effectively monitor for FPM (with the result of improved awareness). The focus of this work is to identify, develop or validate training guidance to improve pilot monitoring/awareness regarding FPM and mitigate the recent trend of accidents and incidents, especially loss of control (LOC) events. The result of this work should be input for improved industry standards and FAA guidance to reduce the risk of incidents and accidents due to inadequate pilot monitoring/awareness. This is the first of three reports that were developed for this project.

aviation human factors↗

Integrating FRET with Copilot: Automated Translation of Natural Language Requirements to Runtime Monitors

Runtime verification (RV) enables monitoring systems at runtime, to detect property violations early and limit their potential consequences. To provide the level of assurance required for ultra-critical systems, monitor specifications must faithfully reflect the original mission requirements, which are often written in ambiguous natural language. This paper presents an end-to-end framework to capture requirements in structured natural language and generate monitors that capture their semantics faithfully. We leverage NASA’s Formal Requirement Elicitation Tool (FRET), and the RV system Copilot. We extend FRET with mechanisms to capture additional information needed to generate monitors, and introduce OGMA, a new tool to bridge the gap between FRET and Copilot. With this framework, users can write requirements in an intuitive format and obtain real-time C monitors suitable for use in embedded systems. Our tool chain is available as open source.

FRET↗

In-Situ Process Monitoring, Synchronization, and Mapping Laser Powder Bed Fusion Builds of Ti6Al4V

The use of in-situ process monitoring is of interest to lower the cost of inspection for the qualification of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) parts. Precise monitoring of the LPBF-AM build process constitutes a multi-scale and multi-discipline task. There are several significant challenges to the in-situ approach: the synchronization of sensor signals to process steps, the physical interpretation and classification of sensor signals, managing very large datasets, and comparing the inputs with the observed monitoring signals. At NASA Langley Research Center, a configurable architecture additive testbed has been developed to monitor the build process with synchronized sensors. The philosophy and method adopted for the synchronization of the cameras with laser power & position Ti-6Al-4V LPBF are described. The synchronized in-situ monitoring signals are compared with ex-situ nondestructive inspection and optical microscopy observations. Such comparisons permit a better understanding of how the sequential process actions of LPBF-AM can affect build quality.

Laser Powder Bed Fusion↗

Seismic Imaging and Monitoring

I give an overview of LANL's capability in seismic imaging and monitoring. I present some seismic imaging and monitoring results, including imaging of complex structures, subsalt imaging of Gulf of Mexico, fault/fracture zone imaging for geothermal exploration at the Jemez pueblo, time-lapse imaging of a walkway vertical seismic profiling data for monitoring CO{sub 2} inject at SACROC, and microseismic event locations for monitoring CO{sub 2} injection at Aneth. These examples demonstrate LANL's high-resolution and high-fidelity seismic imaging and monitoring capabilities.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

USE OF SILICON CARBIDE MONITORS IN ATR IRRADIATION TESTING

In April 2007, the Department of Energy (DOE) designated the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) a National Scientific User Facility (NSUF) to advance US leadership in nuclear science and technology. By attracting new users from universities, laboratories, and industry, the ATR will support basic and applied nuclear research and development and help address the nation's energy security needs. In support of this new program, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has developed in-house capabilities to fabricate, test, and qualify new and enhanced temperature sensors for irradiation testing. Although most efforts emphasize sensors capable of providing real-time data, selected tasks have been completed to enhance sensors provided in irradiation locations where instrumentation leads cannot be included, such as drop-in capsule and Hydraulic Shuttle Irradiation System (HSIS) or 'rabbit' locations. For example, silicon carbide (SiC) monitors are now available to detect peak irradiation temperatures between 200°C and 800°C. Using a resistance measurement approach, specialized equipment installed at INL's High Temperature Test Laboratory (HTTL) and specialized procedures were developed to ensure that accurate peak irradiation temperature measurements are inferred from SiC monitors irradiated at the ATR. Comparison examinations were completed by INL to demonstrate this capability, and several programs currently rely on SiC monitors for peak temperature detection. This paper discusses the use of SiC monitors at the ATR, the process used to evaluate them at the HTTL, and presents representative measurements taken using SiC monitors.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Monitoring, Controlling and Safeguarding Radiochemical Streams at Spent Fuel Reprocessing Facilities with Optical and Gamma-Ray Spectroscopic Methods

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has established international safeguards standards for fissionable material at spent fuel reprocessing plants to ensure that significant quantities of weapons-useable nuclear material are not diverted from these facilities. For large throughput nuclear facilities, it is difficult to satisfy the IAEA safeguards accountancy goal for detection of abrupt diversion. Currently, methods to verify material control and accountancy (MC&A) at these facilities require time-consuming and resourceintensive destructive assay (DA). Leveraging new on-line non-destructive assay (NDA) process monitoring techniques in conjunction with the traditional and highly precise DA methods may provide an additional measure to nuclear material accountancy which would potentially result in a more timely, cost-effective and resource efficient means for safeguards verification at such facilities. By monitoring process control measurements (e.g. flowrates, temperatures, or concentrations of reagents, products or wastes), abnormal plant operations can be detected. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is developing on-line NDA process monitoring technologies based upon gamma-ray and optical spectroscopic measurements to potentially reduce the time and resource burden associated with current techniques. The Multi-Isotope Process (MIP) Monitor uses gamma spectroscopy and multivariate analysis to identify offnormal conditions in process streams. The spectroscopic monitor continuously measures chemical compositions of the process streams including actinide metal ions (U, Pu, Np), selected fission products, and major stable flowsheet reagents using UV-Vis, Near IR and Raman spectroscopy. Multi-variate analysis is also applied to the optical measurements in order to quantify concentrations of analytes of interest within a complex array of radiochemical streams. This paper will provide an overview of these methods and reports on-going efforts to develop and demonstrate the technologies.

controlling↗

Scientific Opportunities for Monitoring of Environmental Remediation Sites - (SOMERS)

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for risk reduction and cleanup of its nuclear weapons complex. DOE maintains the largest cleanup program in the world, currently spanning over a million acres in 13 states. The inventory of contaminated materials includes 90 million gallons of radioactive waste, 6.4 trillion liters of groundwater, and 40 million cubic meters of soil and debris. It is not feasible to completely restore many sites to predisposal conditions. Any contamination left in place will require monitoring, engineering controls and/or land use restrictions to protect human health and environment. Research and development efforts to date have focused on improving characterization and remediation. Yet, monitoring will result in the largest life-cycle costs and will be critical to improving performance and protection. Through an inter-disciplinary effort, DOE is addressing a need to advance monitoring approaches from sole reliance on cost- and labor-intensive point-source monitoring to integrated systems-based approaches such as flux-based approaches and the use of early indicator parameters. Key objectives include identifying current scientific, technical and implementation opportunities and challenges, prioritizing science and technology strategies to meet current needs within the DOE complex for the most challenging environments, and developing an integrated and risk-informed monitoring framework.

environmental restoration↗

Wind Turbine Gearbox Oil Filtration and Condition Monitoring

This is an invited presentation for a pre-conference workshop, titled advances and opportunities in lubrication: wind turbine, at the 2015 Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) Tribology Frontiers Conference held in Denver, CO. It gives a brief overview of wind turbine gearbox oil filtration and condition monitoring by highlighting typical industry practices and challenges. The presentation starts with an introduction by covering recent growth of global wind industry, reliability challenges, benefits of oil filtration and condition monitoring, and financial incentives to conduct wind operation and maintenance research, which includes gearbox oil filtration and condition monitoring work presented herein. Then, the presentation moves on to oil filtration by stressing the benefits of filtration, discussing typical main- and offline-loop practices, highlighting important factors considered when specifying a filtration system, and illustrating real-world application challenges through a cold-start example. In the next section on oil condition monitoring, a discussion on oil sample analysis, oil debris monitoring, oil cleanliness measurements and filter analysis is given based on testing results mostly obtained by and at NREL, and by pointing out a few challenges with oil sample analysis. The presentation concludes with a brief touch on future research and development (R and D) opportunities. It is hoping that the information presented can inform the STLE community to start or redirect their R and D work to help the wind industry advance.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Pyroprocessing Monitoring Technology Development at Idaho National Laboratory

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), with support from the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Technology Research and Development program, has been developing advanced instrumentation and approaches for enhancing the effectiveness of nuclear material control and accounting for future reprocessing facilities with particular emphasis on pyroprocessing. Advanced modeling capabilities augment new instrumentation development, predict material flows, integrate process monitoring data, and assess overall system effectiveness of the safeguards and security system. In this paper we provide a brief overview of the Safeguards and Security by Design approach being pursued under the program and details of advanced process monitoring instrumentation under development at the INL, which includes a triple bubbler system for on-line monitoring of level and density of molten salt, sensors for monitoring actinide concentrations in molten salt, and thermal-couple instrumentation for near real time determination of Pu content in U/TRU ingots. Laboratory and field testing data will be presented, as well as integration of these sensors into a concept for utilization of process monitoring information in concert with traditional nuclear material accountancy data.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

Use of Remote Technology in the Surface Water Environmental Monitoring Program at SRS Reducing Measurements in the Field - 13336

There are a wide range of sensor and remote technology applications available for use in environmental monitoring programs. Each application has its own set of limitations and can be challenging when attempting to utilize it under diverse environmental field conditions. The Savannah River Site Environmental Monitoring Program has implemented several remote sensing and surface water flow technologies that have increased the quality of the data while reducing the number of field measurements. Implementation of this technology reduced the field time for personnel that commute across the Savannah River Site (SRS) over a span of 310 square miles. The wireless surface water flow technology allows for immediate notification of changing field conditions or equipment failure thus reducing data-loss or erroneous field data and improving data-quality. This wireless flow technology uses the stage-to-flow methodology coupled with implementation of a robust highly accurate Acoustic Doppler Profiler system for measuring discharge under various field conditions. Savings for implementation of the wireless flow application and Flowlink{sup R} technology equates to approximately 1175 hours annually for the radiological liquid effluent and surveillance programs. The SonTek River Suveyor and Flowtracker technologies are utilized for calibration of the wireless flow monitoring devices in the site streams and validation of effluent flows at the SRS. Implementation of similar wireless devices is also planned in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Storm-water Monitoring Program. SRS personnel have been developing a unique flow actuator device. This device activates an ISCO{sup TM} automated sampler under flowing conditions at storm-water outfall locations across the site. This technology is unique in that it was designed to be used under field conditions with rapid changes in flow and sedimentation where traditional actuators have been unsuccessful in tripping the automated sampler. In addition, automated rain gauges will be tied into this technology for immediate notification of rain at storm-water locations further enhancing the automation of environmental data collection. These technological improvements at SRS have led to data-quality improvements while reducing the field technician time in the field and costs for maintaining the traditional environmental monitoring applications. (authors)

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Automated Groundwater Monitoring of Uranium at the Hanford Site, Washington - 13116

An automated groundwater monitoring system for the detection of uranyl ion in groundwater was deployed at the 300 Area Industrial Complex, Hanford Site, Washington. The research was conducted to determine if at-site, automated monitoring of contaminant movement in the subsurface is a viable alternative to the baseline manual sampling and analytical laboratory assay methods currently employed. The monitoring system used Arsenazo III, a colorimetric chelating compound, for the detection of the uranyl ion. The analytical system had a limit of quantification of approximately 10 parts per billion (ppb, μg/L). The EPA's drinking water maximum contaminant level (MCL) is 30 ppb [1]. In addition to the uranyl ion assay, the system was capable of acquiring temperature, conductivity, and river level data. The system was fully automated and could be operated remotely. The system was capable of collecting water samples from four sampling sources, quantifying the uranyl ion, and periodically performing a calibration of the analytical cell. The system communications were accomplished by way of cellular data link with the information transmitted through the internet. Four water sample sources were selected for the investigation: one location provided samples of Columbia River water, and the remaining three sources provided groundwater from aquifer sampling tubes positioned in a vertical array at the Columbia River shoreline. The typical sampling schedule was to sample the four locations twice per day with one calibration check per day. This paper outlines the instrumentation employed, the operation of the instrumentation, and analytical results for a period of time between July and August, 2012. The presentation includes the uranyl ion concentration and conductivity results from the automated sampling/analysis system, along with a comparison between the automated monitor's analytical performance and an independent laboratory analysis. Benefits of using the automated system as an alternative to traditional sample collection and analysis includes the following: - Field observations that provide more characterization information than is possible using traditional monitoring methods. - Potentially significant reductions in labor and analytical costs if traditional methods are complemented by automated systems. - The reduced cost of acquiring samples will allow for more frequent collection of samples that may be automatically introduced into real-time graphical flux programs allowing site managers to observe the changes in contaminant concentrations during remediation projects and across discrete river stage events. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Transition from Consultation to Monitoring-NRC's Increasingly Focused Review of Factors Important to F-Area Tank Farm Facility Performance - 13153

In consultation with the NRC, DOE issued a waste determination for the F-Area Tank Farm (FTF) facility in March 2012. The FTF consists of 22 underground tanks, each 2.8 to 4.9 million liters in capacity, used to store liquid high-level waste generated as a result of spent fuel reprocessing. The waste determination concluded stabilized waste residuals and associated tanks and auxiliary components at the time of closure are not high-level and can be disposed of as LLW. Prior to issuance of the final waste determination, during the consultation phase, NRC staff reviewed and provided comments on DOE's revision 0 and revision 1 FTF PAs that supported the waste determination and produced a technical evaluation report documenting the results of its multi-year review in October 2011. Following issuance of the waste determination, NRC began to monitor DOE disposal actions to assess compliance with the performance objectives in 10 CFR Part 61, Subpart C. To facilitate its monitoring responsibilities, NRC developed a plan to monitor DOE disposal actions. NRC staff was challenged in developing a focused monitoring plan to ensure limited resources are spent in the most cost-effective manner practical. To address this challenge, NRC prioritized monitoring areas and factors in terms of risk significance and timing. This prioritization was informed by NRC staff's review of DOE's PA documentation, independent probabilistic modeling conducted by NRC staff, and NRC-sponsored research conducted by the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses in San Antonio, TX. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Integrated Systems-Based Approach to Monitoring Environmental Remediation - 13211

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for risk reduction and cleanup of its nuclear weapons complex. Remediation strategies for some of the existing contamination use techniques that mitigate risk, but leave contaminants in place. Monitoring to verify remedy performance and long-term mitigation of risk is a key element for implementing these strategies and can be a large portion of the total cost of remedy implementation. Especially in these situations, there is a need for innovative monitoring approaches that move away from the cost and labor intensive point-source monitoring. A systems-based approach to monitoring design focuses monitoring on controlling features and processes to enable effective interpretation of remedy performance. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗