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DOE OSTI2022

Domestic and International Standards for Nuclear Criticality Safety – Overview and Status

The domestic and international consensus standards for nuclear criticality safety (NCS) have provided guidance for staff performing hands-on work in operations with fissionable materials. These consensus standards have contributed directly to the significant reduction in the rate of criticality accidents in process facilities since the 1940s. The last known criticality accident inside the United States was in 1978 (nearly 43 years ago) at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, and outside the United States, an accident occurred at Tokai-mura, Japan, in 1999 (23 years ago). The domestic consensus standards for NCS include the American Nuclear Society (ANS) standards. The ANS Standards Board, the NCS Consensus Committee, and the ANS-8 Subcommittee oversee the development and maintenance of these standards. There are currently eighteen standards in the ANS-8 series. Currently, there are six ANS-8 standards in revision mode and eleven in a maintenance mode with one new standard under development. The international consensus standards for NCS calculations, procedures, and practices are maintained and developed within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Technical Committee 85 on Nuclear Energy, Subcommittee 5 on Nuclear Fuel Technology, and Working Group 8, “Nuclear Criticality Safety.” Eleven standards are currently available, three standards are in revision mode, and two standards are development. This paper provides the NCS community with an overview and status report of domestic and international NCS consensus standards to stimulate interest and to support their continued development.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Situated Visualization of Photovoltaic Module Performance for Workforce Development

The rapid growth of the solar energy industry requires advanced educational tools to train the next generation of engineers and technicians. We present a novel system for situated visualization of photovoltaic (PV) module performance, leveraging a combination of PV simulation, sun-sky position, and head-mounted augmented reality (AR). Our system is guided by four principles of development: simplicity, adaptability, collaboration, and maintainability, realized in six components. Users interactively manipulate a physical module's orientation and shading referents with immediate feedback on the module's performance.

augmented reality↗

DOE OSTI2024

Situated Visualization of Photovoltaic Module Performance for Workforce Development: Preprint

augmented reality↗

DOE OSTI2024

Situated Visualization of Photovoltaic Module Performance for Workforce Development

augmented reality↗

DOE OSTI2025

Early Career Perspectives to Broaden the Scope of Critical Zone Science

Abstract Critical Zone (CZ) scientists have advanced understanding of Earth's surface through process‐based research that quantifies water, energy, and mass fluxes in predominantly undisturbed systems. However, the CZ is being increasingly altered by humans through climate and land use change. Expanding the scope of CZ science to include both human‐ and non‐human controls on the CZ is important for understanding anthropogenic impacts to Earth's surface processes and ecosystem services. Here, we share perspectives from predominantly U.S.‐based, early career CZ scientists centered around broadening the scope of CZ science to focus on societally relevant science through a transdisciplinary science framework. We call for increased training on transdisciplinary methods and collaboration opportunities across disciplines and with stakeholders to foster a scientific community that values transdisciplinary science alongside physical science. Here, we build on existing transdisciplinary research frameworks by highlighting the need for institutional support to include and educate graduate students throughout the research processes. We also call for graduate‐student‐led initiatives to increase their own exposure to transdisciplinary science through activities such as transdisciplinary‐focused seminars and symposiums, volunteering with local conservation groups, and participating in internships outside academia.

Warix, Sara [University of Utah Department of Geol↗

DOE OSTI2021

NEFCD All-Hands Meeting – Overview of Nuclear Criticality, Radiation Transport, and Safety (NCRTS) Section [Slides]

Topics for the meeting were as follows: Safety Minute, High-level Overview of NCRTS, Overview of NCRTS Groups (Radiation Transport, Nuclear Data, and Nuclear Criticality Safety), and Question and Answer.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Health Physics Research Reactor Criticality Accident Alarm System Benchmark Overview [Slides]

This presentation discusses the Health Physics Research Reactor (HPRR) or Fast Burst Reactor (FBR) and how available data from Health Physics Research Reactor (HPRR) operation to can be used to create a benchmark report for inclusion in the ICSBEP, as a Criticality Accident Alarm System (CAAS) shielding benchmark. The evaluation of experimental data is also presented, specifically four experimental candidates are considered of potential value for the benchmark: 1. Neutron source estimation from a HPRR pulse (energy spectrum, fission yield), 2. Threshold Detector Unit (TDU) measurements at different distances from a HPRR pulse, shielded and unshielded, 3. Sulfur pellet activation at different distances from a HPRR pulse, shielded and unshielded, and 4. Total neutron fluence from a HPRR pulse measured by Bonner Sphere Spectrometry, shielded and unshielded. Additionally, a benchmark model overview is discussed as are sample calculation results.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

DOE OSTI2023

Proposed Subcritical Assembly for Nuclear Criticality Safety Training at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The design of a new subcritical assembly at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been finalized. This design takes the feasibility study of the subcritical assembly performed in August 2020 to an implementable design. This subcritical assembly will support the Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP) training and education program. The addition of this subcritical assembly into the NCSP training and education will enhance the program by providing backup capacity for training if nuclear facility operations are disrupted at Sandia National Laboratories or the National Criticality Experiments Research Center; providing a new location that is more accessible to students in the Eastern portion of the United States; providing flexibility to support students from a diverse background (e.g., university students, foreign nationals). The proposed subcritical assembly uses legacy AGN-201M research reactor fuel plates that are available at the Y-12 National Security Complex. The final design of this subcritical assembly contains approximately 617 grams of 235 U as UO 2 powder distributed homogeneously in polyethylene. The fuel plates will have a graphite neutron reflector to obtain a core multiplication, M, from 10 to 20, corresponding to a $k_{eff}$ of 0.90 to 0.95, respectively. The subcritical assembly will be able to support at least four experiments for the training courses: (1) the addition of fissile material to the core (mass), (2) a core separation experiment (interaction), (3) the addition of moderators to the core (moderation), and (4) the addition of neutron absorbers to the core (poison/absorption). The subcritical assembly will be designed to be inherently safe—subcritical under all normal and abnormal conditions— and will provide the capability to conduct hands-on training to support NCSP and general nuclear criticality safety staff training and qualification goals.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Sanford Underground Research Facility’s approach to school education, community activities, and public outreach

The Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) is the deepest underground science facility in the United States. SURF hosts world-leading experiments in neutrino, astroparticle and nuclear physics, as well as projects in biology, geology, and engineering, and is home to a major excavation project making space for Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory’s Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF), which will power the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). An emphasis on outreach and education is embedded in SURF’s mission statement: “to advance world-class science and inspire learning across generations.” To achieve this mission, SURF goes beyond established science communication methods, including operating an open-to-the-public visitor center, hosting multiple public outreach events per month, and an annual city-wide science festival. Furthermore, SURF is training K-12 science educators, developing school curriculum units, and providing classroom materials, based on science researched at the laboratory. The strategic approach, specific methods, and successful outcomes of these programs, which are based on SURF’s science, location, and community, may serve as examples for effective science education, public outreach, and community engagement.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Real-time mixed reality display of dual particle radiation detector data

Radiation source localization and characterization are challenging tasks that currently require complex analyses for interpretation. Mixed reality (MR) technologies are at the verge of wide scale adoption and can assist in the visualization of complex data. Herein, we demonstrate real-time visualization of gamma ray and neutron radiation detector data in MR using the Microsoft HoloLens 2 smart glasses, significantly reducing user interpretation burden. Radiation imaging systems typically use double-scatter events of gamma rays or fast neutrons to reconstruct the incidence directional information, thus enabling source localization. The calculated images and estimated ’hot spots’ are then often displayed in 2D angular space projections on screens. By combining a state-of-the-art dual particle imaging system with HoloLens 2, we propose to display the data directly to the user via the head-mounted MR smart glasses, presenting the directional information as an overlay to the user’s 3D visual experience. We describe an open source implementation using efficient data transfer, image calculation, and 3D engine. We thereby demonstrate for the first time a real-time user experience to display fast neutron or gamma ray images from various radioactive sources set around the detector. We also introduce an alternative source search mode for situations of low event rates using a neural network and simulation based training data to provide a fast estimation of the source’s angular direction. Using MR for radiation detection provides a more intuitive perception of radioactivity and can be applied in routine radiation monitoring, education & training, emergency scenarios, or inspections.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2021

pnnl/FlexyAirDeepMPC

This is a trained machine learning model written in Pytorch for automated control of the FlexyAir (https://ocl.sk/hardware/flexyair/) dynamical system control educational device. This software is to be released to support our demonstration of our deepMPC methods on embedded hardware to control a real (albeit tutorial) physical system with control actuators.

Tuor, Aaron↗

DOE OSTI2021

Interprofessional Image Verification Workshop for Physician and Physics Residents: A Multi-Institutional Experience

Verification of patient position through pretreatment setup imaging is crucial in modern radiation therapy. As treatment complexity increases and technology evolves, physicist-physician collaboration becomes imperative for safe and successful radiation delivery. Despite the importance of both, residency programs lack formal interprofessional education (IPE) activities or structured training for image verification. Here we show the impact of an interprofessional image verification workshop for residents in a multi-institutional setting.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

DOE OSTI2022

NCS Pipeline UC Berkeley Course Overview [Slides]

The criticality safety divisions at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), in partnership with Dr. Max Fratoni of UC Berkeley, taught the fourth annual nuclear criticality safety course during the fall 2021 semester at UC Berkeley. This course is part of a larger pipeline project designed to stimulate student interest in the field of criticality safety.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

NASA NTRS1997

School Science Comes Alive

Phase 3 of the School Science Comes Alive Program (S(sup 2)CAP) created an exciting, science - enrichment experience for third, fourth and fifth graders and their teachers and enhanced the science-teaching skills of teacher teams at each of four participating elementary schools on Virginia's Peninsula. The schools involved enroll a majority of Black students, many of whom are from economically disadvantaged households. Designed to build on the highly successful S(sup 2)CAP program of the preceding two years, this project brought college faculty together with classroom teachers and trained volunteers in a cooperative effort to make a lasting difference in the quality of science education at the four schools. In total, this program touched approximately 1000 the school children, more than half of whom are black, giving them direct and indirect exposure to the spirit of inquiry and adventure of the world-wide science community. In S(sup 2)CAP Phase 3, a large measure of responsibility was placed on the classroom teachers, thus creating a more sustainable partnership between college faculty and grade school teacher. Our college physics professors coached and supported teams of teachers from each school at intensive training workshops. A volunteer program provided each teacher with one or more trained volunteers to assist in class with the hands-on activities that have been central to the S2CAP program. Most of the equipment for these activities was constructed during the workshops by the teachers and volunteers from low cost materials provided by the program. Two types of volunteers were enlisted: science smart black college students and technically trained retirees (many of whom are ex-NASA employees). One goal of this program was to increase the numbers of minority students who see science as an interesting and exciting subject, to make the science period a time which students look forward to in the school day. Such an attitude is expected to translate naturally into a higher interest in science and engineering as a career for these students. A second goal was to create a sustainable improvement in the way science is taught at the elementary level. By the end of the program we expected that our teachers would be significantly more self reliant in using hands-on-activities as a part of their science curricula than they were prior to their involvement with S2CAP. In summary, S2CAP Phase 3 offered intensive training workshops for teachers and supporting volunteers followed by stimulating hands-on activities in the classroom for the children. These components combined to amplify the experience, enthusiasm, and ideas of our scientists in a way that complements the normal elementary school curriculum in each of the two school systems involved.

Hartline, Frederick F.↗

DOE OSTI2020

NREL’s Cyber-Energy Emulation Platform for Research and System Visualization

This paper presents NREL’s Cyber Energy Emulation (CEE) Platform. This is a novel emulation platform for achieving real-time visualization of large-scale environments involving cyber-physical devices. It allows for the environment to include real, physical hardware, along with emulated devices communicating with each other as part of the same system. The CEE Platform is also capable of streaming, collecting, storing, transporting, and visualizing all data within the emulated environment. By providing this capability, it enables high-fidelity visual analysis of events to be performed in real time as well as the use of historical data for forensic analysis. This paper presents the design of the CEE Platform as well as several potential use cases and applications. It also aims to highlight why this type of visualization tool has potential for research and education about cyber-physical systems.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2022

University Pipeline (with UNM) for Criticality Safety Professionals [Slides]

The scope of the University Pipeline is to provide students with knowledge of NCS and to inspire students to pursue a career in NCS after graduation. There are several benefits of the University Pipeline: reduced training time and costs; interested students that naturally self-sort and pursue the discipline at the university level; and a pipeline of criticality safety candidates readily available within the DOE Complex so that unexpected organizational or mission changes can be reacted to with increased agility.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2021

American Nuclear Society ANS-8 Standards Forum [Slides]

The agenda for this forum includes an agenda discussion, membership discussion, a review of recent SC-8 & NCSCC ballots, ISO TC85/SC5/WG8 standards activity report (D. Bowen), NCSCC activity report (L. Wetzel), reports from working group chairs, and old/new business.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Twentieth Exotic Beam Summer School (EBSS2023)

The study of unstable nuclei with unusual ratios of protons to neutrons is one of the frontiers of science. Investigating these rare isotopes is critical for understanding the synthesis of the chemical elements in stellar explosions as well as the fundamental nature of the nuclear forces that bind atomic nuclei together. Scientific progress in this field is driven by the development of exotic beams in present and next-generation rare-isotope beam facilities including the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). Nuclear physics is a broad discipline, influencing our knowledge on subjects as diverse as weakly-bound nuclei, many-body quantum theory, the super heavy elements, and the inner structure of neutron stars. Applications based on nuclear science and technologies include medical diagnostics and therapies, materials science, and national security. The major goal achieved in this project was to hold Exotic Beam Summer School 2023 (EBSS2023), the twentieth installment of EBSS series, July 9-15, 2023 at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams on the campus of Michigan State University to educate and train the next generation of scientists that will drive research with rare-isotope beams. FRIB became operational in 2022 and is now providing beams of exotic nuclei that will ramp up to unmatched intensities, exceeding what is available today by orders of magnitude. Beams available at FRIB are facilitating a wide variety of studies in nuclear structure, astrophysics, fundamental symmetries and societal applications. There is a large community of scientists interested in working with rare isotope beams; for example, the FRIB User Organization currently has over 1,700 members. In order to maximize the scientific output of FRIB, there must be a workforce continuously trained in both the physics of exotic beams and in the practical techniques of carrying out an experiment. This summer school series is designed to specifically address this need - to ensure that new generations of scientists from a broad range of institutions and backgrounds is trained, motivated, and equipped to push the field forward to new and important breakthroughs.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗