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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 73 records · Page 4
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DOE OSTI2017

Standardized Canisters for Spent Nuclear Fuel: Their Potential Impact and a Proposed Path Forward

This paper describes an evaluation completed in Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) that investigates using standardized triple-purpose (storage, transportation, and disposal) canisters within an integrated waste management system (IWMS). The IWMS in this particular evaluation is focused on management of commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Incorporation of a standardized canister system into the IWMS provides an opportunity to develop an integrated approach to address storage, transportation, and disposal issues. Regardless of implementation timing and method, deployment of such a canister system could cause significant system-wide impacts. Over the past few years, a number of system analyses have been performed for the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) using logistic simulations to evaluate the impacts of incorporating these smaller canisters into the IWMS. Furthermore, these simulations predict the amount of resources (e.g., staff, canisters/casks, railcars, facilities), the size of facilities, the timing of operations, and rough-order-of-magnitude (ROM) cost estimates.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2017

U.S. Sodium Fast Reactor Codes and Methods: Current Capabilities and Path Forward

The United States has extensive experience with the design, construction, and operation of sodium cooled fast reactors (SFRs) over the last six decades. Despite the closure of various facilities, the U.S. continues to dedicate research and development (R&D) efforts to the design of innovative experimental, prototype, and commercial facilities. Accordingly, in support of the rich operating history and ongoing design efforts, the U.S. has been developing and maintaining a series of tools with capabilities that envelope all facets of SFR design and safety analyses. This paper provides an overview of the current U.S. SFR analysis toolset, including codes such as SAS4A/SASSYS-1, MC2-3, SE2-ANL, PERSENT, NUBOW-3D, and LIFE-METAL, as well as the higher-fidelity tools (e.g. PROTEUS) being integrated into the toolset. Current capabilities of the codes are described and key ongoing development efforts are highlighted for some codes.

safety codes↗
DOE OSTI2018

A Viable Path Forward to Carbon Capture and Storage in Wyoming, USA

The State of Wyoming, USA, benefits from favorable geologic, regulatory, and infrastructure attributes that promote efficient and sustainable carbon capture and storage (CCS). Two research sites in Wyoming exhibit high potential for the underground geologic storage of greater than 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) over 25 years. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Carbon Storage Assurance and Facility Enterprise (DOE CarbonSAFE) Phase I prefeasibility initiative, studies of both sites indicate promising capture, transport, utilization, and storage characteristics. The Dry Fork site is located near Gillette, in northeast Wyoming. Four storage reservoir/seal pairs have been identified at the Dry Fork site that provide excellent prospects for stacked storage of CO 2 . All four reservoirs lie at sufficient depths to maintain supercritical CO 2 and all four seals exhibit favorable characteristics for stratigraphic confinement. The reservoir with the highest expected significance is the Pennsylvanian/Permian Minnelusa Formation, which consists of near-shore dunes and shoreline sands, as well as shale and carbonate layers. The Minnelusa resides at a depth of ~2,900 m below the land surface and is ~45 m thick in the study area. Average porosity for samples from core within 10 km of the study area is 9%, with permeability values as high as 169 mD (n=6). The Permian Opeche Formation seals the Minnelusa and consists of redbed shales with minor fine-grained siltstones and evaporite deposits. Entry pressures as high as ~4700 psia were measured by mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) analysis on core samples from the Opeche. A CarbonSAFE Phase II feasibility proposal at the Dry Fork site has recently been selected by DOE for negotiation leading to award. The second proposed site is located at the Rock Springs Uplift (RSU) in southwest Wyoming. Four reservoir/seal pairs have been studied at the RSU, all of which present promising geologic attributes for the stacked storage of CO 2 . The two deepest reservoirs (Mississippian Madison Limestone and Pennsylvanian/Permian Weber Formation) and their seals were studied previously under the auspices of the Wyoming Carbon Underground Storage Project (WY-CUSP), which was funded by DOE and the State of Wyoming. For the more recent CarbonSAFE initiative, two shallower reservoir/seal pairs were studied in detail. The highest priority of these reservoirs is the Triassic/Jurassic Nugget Formation, which consists of eolian sands and minor fluvial and interdune deposits. The Nugget lies at a depth of ~2,800 m and is ~140 m thick in the study area. Average measured porosity for samples from core within 40 km of the study site is 9%, with permeability values as high as 91 mD (n=10). The Nugget is sealed by the overlying Jurassic Gypsum Spring and Morrison Formations, as well as a thick (~1,700 m) regional Upper Cretaceous seal that includes shales from multiple geologic units. Entry pressures as high as 1120 psia were measured by MICP for shales within this regional confining unit. Overall, the State of Wyoming provides an advantageous climate to develop sustainable integrated CCS projects based on the following considerations: (1) well-characterized and favorable geology; (2) some of the largest deposits of economically recoverable coal in the USA; (3) an existing CO 2 -enhanced oil recovery industry, including CO 2 pipeline infrastructure; (4) supportive commercial enterprises, including utilities and the oil and gas industry; (5) supportive policymakers; (6) a favorable legal and regulatory environment; (7) proximity to carbon-constrained markets such as the State of California; (8) large CO 2 emission sources, including coal-fired power plants; and (9) backing for carbon capture, storage, and management related research and development, specifically implementation of the Integrated Test Center at Dry Fork Station, which is hosting the coal-track of the NRG/COSIA Carbon XPrize® competition.

Phillips, Erin↗