Results for “Test guidelines” — Page 4

DOE OSTI2022

Release of Contaminants from Burning Liquids and Solids

This report details model development, theory, and a literature review focusing on the emission of contaminants on solid substrates in fires. This is the final report from a 2-year Nuclear Safety Research and Development (NSRD) project. The work represents progress towards a goal of having modeling and simulation capabilities that are sufficiently mature and accurate that they can be utilized in place of physical tests for determining safe handling practices. At present, the guidelines for safety are largely empirically based, derived from a survey of existing datasets. This particular report details the development, verification and calibration of a number of code improvements that have been implemented in the SIERRA suite of codes, and the application of those codes to three different experimental scenarios that have been subject of prior tests. The first scenario involves a contaminated PMMA slab, which is exposed to heat. The modeling involved a novel method for simulating the viscous diffusion of the particles in the slab. The second scenario involved a small pool fire of contaminated combustible liquid mimicking historical tests and finds that the release of contaminants has a high functionality with the height of the liquid in the container. The third scenario involves the burning of a contaminated tray of shredded cellulose. A novel release mechanism was formulated based on predicted progress of the decomposition of the cellulose, and while the model was found to result in release that can be tuned to match the experiments, some modifications to the model are desirable to achieve quantitative accuracy.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2020

Acute Shortage Ventilator

Abstract We have implemented an “Acute Shortage Ventilator” (ASV) motivated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the possibility of severe ventilator shortages in the near future. The unit cost per ventilator is less than $400 US excluding the patient circuit parts. The ASV mechanically compresses a self-inflating bag resuscitator, uses a modified patient circuit, and is commanded by a microcontroller and an optional laptop. It operates in both Volume-Controlled Assist-Control mode and a Pressure-Controlled Assist-Control mode. It has been tested using an artificial lung against the EURS guidelines. The key design goals were to develop a simple device with high performance for short-term use, made primarily from common hospital parts and generally-available non-medical components, and at low cost and ease in manufacturing.

Akerib, D. S.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Acute shortage ventilator

We have implemented an ″Acute Shortage Ventilator″ (ASV) motivated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the possibility of severe ventilator shortages in the near future. The unit cost per ventilator is less than $400 US excluding the patient circuit parts. The ASV mechanically compresses a self-inflating bag resuscitator, uses a modified patient circuit, and is commanded by a microcontroller and an optional laptop. It operates in both Volume-Controlled Assist-Control mode and a Pressure-Controlled Assist-Control mode. It has been tested using an artificial lung against the EURS guidelines. The key design goals were to develop a simple device with high performance for short-term use, made primarily from common hospital parts and generally-available non-medical components, and at low cost and ease in manufacturing.

Breur, Sander↗

DOE OSTI2022

Guidelines and Specifications for Enhanced Durability Evaluation of Insulating Glass and Vacuum Insulating Glass Units

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has conducted research into durability of advanced fenestration technologies for almost thirty years. NREL has recently begun to research potential methods to enhance durability evaluation of present market insulating glass units (IGU). This document outlines a proposed process flow for adoption of these methods by interested parties. The proposed evaluation process flow described below is still a topic of active research at NREL as well as with industry partners. NREL will periodically update this document based on research results, both internal and external to NREL that may inform development of improved durability evaluation. This document is also meant to serve as a guideline for interested parties who may wish to engage in enhanced durability evaluation of IGU's both internally or with external testing laboratories. NREL will work to support adoption of the suggestions in this guideline by interested partners in the hope that these practices are more broadly adopted by the industry. Further research into this area will continue to inform both adaptations of this guideline as well as development of improved durability evaluation standards.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2020

Solar/Photovoltaic DC Systems: Information for Electrical Workers and Firefighters

Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are common and continue to gain popularity. This article helps electrical workers and firefighters understand basic operating principles and hazards of PV dc arrays. The effects of solar radiation and temperature on power output are discussed including; PV-module testing standards; methods for calculating the number of modules in a PV string; some National Electrical Code (NEC) guidelines that are aimed toward improving array safety; dc-array commissioning, periodic maintenance, and testing; arc-flash-hazard potential ways firefighters can work safely around PV arrays; potential risks posed by moonlight and other light sources; some unique dc-system hazards. We also present statistics on PV dc-array electrical incidents and injuries.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2022

On the measurement of hardness at high strain rates by nanoindentation impact testing

Recent advances in electronics have enabled nanomechanical measurements with very low noise, fast time constants and high data acquisition rates. Furthermore, these capabilities open the door for a wide range of ultra-fast nanomechanical testing. Given the inherent dynamic nature of high-speed testing, a thorough understanding of the testing system's dynamics and electronics is extremely important for accurate measurements. In this work, an analytical framework that includes the mechanical and electronic contributions of the instrument and the material constitutive response is presented to provide guidelines for performing high strain rate measurements of hardness by nanoindentation testing. Simple closed-form solutions that provide insights on the choice of test methodology, test parameters and instrument design are presented along with the strain rate range over which accurate measurements can be performed with the commercially available nanoindenters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2020

Finite-temperature coupled cluster: Efficient implementation and application to prototypical systems

In this work, we discuss the theory and implementation of the finite temperature coupled cluster singles and doubles (FT-CCSD) method including the equations necessary for an efficient implementation of response properties. Numerical aspects of the method including the truncation of the orbital space and integration of the amplitude equations are tested on some simple systems, and we provide some guidelines for applying the method in practice. The method is then applied to the 1D Hubbard model, the uniform electron gas (UEG) at warm, dense conditions, and some simple materials. The performance of model systems at high temperatures is encouraging: for the one-dimensional Hubbard model, FT-CCSD provides a qualitatively accurate description of finite-temperature correlation effects even at U = 8, and it allows for the computation of systematically improvable exchange–correlation energies of the warm, dense UEG over a wide range of conditions. We highlight the obstacles that remain in using the method for realistic ab initio calculations on materials

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2025

Passive Acoustic Monitoring of a Riverine Turbine with Stationary Hydrophones

In this study, we characterize the sound generated by a cross-flow riverine turbine in the Kvichak River near Igiugig, Alaska, United States. To do this, we follow the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) technical specification for characterization of the acoustic emissions from marine energy converters. While marine mammals do not inhabit the test site, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) guidelines for assessing the effects of anthropogenic sound on marine mammal hearing were implemented to provide context for the deployment of similar turbines in other areas. The results indicate that turbine sound at the measurement locations was not predicted to be harmful to marine mammals. Results also provide insight into the acoustic characteristics of current energy converters and the complex acoustic propagation in rivers.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2022

Gas Permeability Test Protocol for Ion-Exchange Membranes

The membrane-based electrolysis of water is a growing topic of interest due to the advantages of employing membranes in hydrogen production efficiency and system safety over the traditional alkaline water electrolysis. Ion-exchange membranes with low gas permeability are highly desirable for stable and safe operation of membrane-based water-splitting technologies, hence gas permeability through ion-exchange membranes needs to be properly assessed with standardized methods. We addressed three methods to measure gas permeability of ion-exchange membranes, a pressure permeation cell, chronoamperometry microelectrodes, and in situ testing of the membrane electrode assembly, and provide a guideline for choosing the appropriate method for the targeted operating conditions of the water electrolyzers.

08 HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2022

Manufacturing and stiffness constraints for topology optimized periodic structures

Topology optimization (TO) is commonly applied to design the unit cells of periodic structures. For example, metamaterials, lattice structures, phononic crystals (PhC), and photonic crystals (PC) have all been previously designed via TO. Unfortunately, the optimal structures for certain design objectives, e.g., bandgaps, are often impossible to manufacture as they have disconnected regions or “islands” of solid material (ISM) that are not self-supporting. Additionally, designs with enclosed void space (EVS) are problematic for additive manufacturing (AM) since support material or pre-sintered powder cannot be removed after manufacturing. We present a series of constraints that may be incorporated into any TO framework to ensure structures are self-supporting without enclosed voids. Additionally, we employ homogenization-based constraints that allow the designer to tune the elastic stiffness and isotropy of the optimized design. The proposed constraints are evaluated on example microstructures and utilized in a simple optimization test problem to highlight their abilities and limitations so that guidelines for appropriate combinations of constraints may be proposed. Effective constraint combinations are demonstrated on the design of 3D photonic crystals for maximum bandgap subject to manufacturing and stiffness constraints.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2024

ORNL Package Testing Program Software Quality Assurance Plan

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Package Testing Program (PTP) uses commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software in performing data collection of thermal test results for package designs that contain radioactive materials. Specifically, this software is used to collect temperature data from the furnace, packages, and ambient air to prepare and execute the thermal test specified in 10 CFR 71.73, “Thermal Test.” This software quality assurance (SQA) plan sets forth the guidelines, standards, and procedures that shall be used to provide SQA for PTP software applications. This is a living document that will be maintained for the lifecycle of the PTP program. The SQA plan follows the requirements set forth in ORNL Standards Based Management System (SBMS): Information Technology; Subject Area: Software Quality Assurance. When applicable to the requirements as described in ORNL SBMS, Software Quality Assurance, the software shall be listed in the ORNL Software Registration System (SRS). Exemptions to this SBMS are COTS and firmware that are not modified; spreadsheet applications and personal productivity tools that do not have a utility or safety application, research applications, legacy software, system software, vendor-supplied software used to interface with the vendor’s services, software used within the organization to facilitate processing or management of information, and software developed for applications not specific to the US Department of Energy (DOE).

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2025

Quantifying and Optimizing the Energy Benefits of Mass Timber Construction

The International Mass Timber Alliance (IMTA) is a global organization of industry leaders, engineers, scientists, and associations dedicated to advancing mass timber construction. Its mission is to generate and disseminate scientific data supporting the development of standardized construction and energy efficient practices that promote the adoption of mass timber worldwide. IMTA collaborated with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to leverage ORNL’s expertise in building envelope modeling and testing to evaluate how mass timber construction can reduce peak heating and cooling demand, lower overall energy use, and improve resilience during power outages. A previous study of 80 mass timber buildings in Finland found measured energy use up to 50% lower than predicted by simulation. This project aimed to validate and extend those findings for U.S. buildings through analytical modeling, laboratory testing, and full-scale building evaluations. The research focused on the thermal performance of low-embodied-energy wall assemblies, such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels and log walls, with particular attention to the effects of thermal inertia on indoor comfort and energy performance. While mass timber’s structural and fire-resistance properties are well documented, its whole-building thermal behavior has received limited attention. Field data, simulation results, and resilience testing from this study will inform future modeling practices, design guidelines, and construction practices by quantifying the unique thermal and demand-flexibility benefits of mass timber construction.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2021

Added value for integrated marine energy data systems

Launched in 2019, the Portal and Repository for Information on Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMRE) provides centralized access, standardization, community building, and integration of United States (U.S.) databases, tools and codes, and other resources that cover a range of marine energy information. The PRIMRE universe contains a series of Knowledge Hubs that represent data and information on testing of marine energy devices (MHKDR); environmental effects (Tethys); engineering and technical papers (Tethys Engineering); descriptions of marine energy companies and technologies (Marine Energy Projects Database); codes and models (Marine Energy Software); and guidance on testing and measurements (Telesto). Content is added to PRIMRE by applying a set of Guidelines and Best Practices (PRIMRE Guidelines). An aggregate search across the PRIMRE site enables users to find data and information from all the PRIMRE Knowledge Hubs simultaneously, using a single entry-point (PRIMRE Search). In addition to providing access to a range of data and information on marine energy development, testing, and effects, PRIMRE allows for the development of value added products and processes that will help move the marine energy industry forward. The PRIMRE team has recently launched two key initiatives in the U.S.—Signature Projects and Lessons Learned. Outputs and outcomes from these two initiatives will be highlighted in this paper. The Signature Projects initiative is intended to bring focus to a selection of ongoing and completed marine energy projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), and to inform the marine energy community of what investigations have been undertaken, what tools are available, and where gaps in information persist. Each Signature Project tags papers, reports, and data from large marine energy research projects, providing easy access and attention to all the output and associated products from each project. The Lessons Learned initiative is intended to ensure that hard-won achievements are recognized and available for those who come later, that missteps and unfortunate outcomes can be prevented in future, and that efficiencies and effective shortcuts can be publicized and used as the marine energy industry moves forward. This initiative builds off the Knowledge Hubs and reaches out to members of the marine energy community, particularly technology developers and researchers, to integrate experience in the development, deployment, assessment, success, and challenges while creating this new industry and field of study.

Copping, Andrea E.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Added value for integrated marine energy data systems

Launched in 2019, the Portal and Repository for Information on Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMRE) provides centralized access, standardization, community building, and integration of United States (U.S.) databases, tools and codes, and other resources that cover a range of marine energy information. The PRIMRE universe contains a series of Knowledge Hubs that represent data and information on testing of marine energy devices (MHKDR); environmental effects (Tethys); engineering and technical papers (Tethys Engineering); descriptions of marine energy companies and technologies (Marine Energy Projects Database); codes and models (Marine Energy Software); and guidance on testing and measurements (Telesto). Content is added to PRIMRE by applying a set of Guidelines and Best Practices (PRIMRE Guidelines). An aggregate search across the PRIMRE site enables users to find data and information from all the PRIMRE Knowledge Hubs simultaneously, using a single entry-point (PRIMRE Search). In addition to providing access to a range of data and information on marine energy development, testing, and effects, PRIMRE allows for the development of value added products and processes that will help move the marine energy industry forward. The PRIMRE team has recently launched two key initiatives in the U.S.—Signature Projects and Lessons Learned. Outputs and outcomes from these two initiatives will be highlighted in this paper. The Signature Projects initiative is intended to bring focus to a selection of ongoing and completed marine energy projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), and to inform the marine energy community of what investigations have been undertaken, what tools are available, and where gaps in information persist. Each Signature Project tags papers, reports, and data from large marine energy research projects, providing easy access and attention to all the output and associated products from each project. The Lessons Learned initiative is intended to ensure that hard-won achievements are recognized and available for those who come later, that missteps and unfortunate outcomes can be prevented in future, and that efficiencies and effective shortcuts can be publicized and used as the marine energy industry moves forward. This initiative builds off the Knowledge Hubs and reaches out to members of the marine energy community, particularly technology developers and researchers, to integrate experience in the development, deployment, assessment, success, and challenges while creating this new industry and field of study.

Copping, Andrea E.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Added Value for Integrated Marine Energy Data Systems (February 2021)

Launched in 2019, the Portal and Repository for Information on Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMRE) provides centralized access, standardization, community building, and integration of United States (U.S.) databases, tools and codes, and other resources that cover a range of marine energy information. The PRIMRE universe contains a series of Knowledge Hubs that represent data and information on testing of marine energy devices (MHKDR); environmental effects (Tethys); engineering and technical papers (Tethys Engineering); descriptions of marine energy companies and technologies (Marine Energy Projects Database); codes and models (Marine Energy Software); and guidance on testing and measurements (Telesto). Content is added to PRIMRE by applying a set of Guidelines and Best Practices (PRIMRE Guidelines). An aggregate search across the PRIMRE site enables users to find data and information from all the PRIMRE Knowledge Hubs simultaneously, using a single entry-point (PRIMRE Search). In addition to providing access to a range of data and information on marine energy development, testing, and effects, PRIMRE allows for the development of valueadded products and processes that will help move the marine energy industry forward. The PRIMRE team has recently launched two key initiatives in the U.S.-Signature Projects and Lessons Learned. Outputs and outcomes from these two initiatives will be highlighted in this paper. The Signature Projects initiative is intended to bring focus to a selection of ongoing and completed marine energy projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), and to inform the marine energy community of what investigations have been undertaken, what tools are available, and where gaps in information persist. Each Signature Project tags papers, reports, and data from large marine energy research projects, providing easy access and attention to all the output and associated products from each project. The Lessons Learned initiative is intended to ensure that hard-won achievements are recognized and available for those who come later, that missteps and unfortunate outcomes can be prevented in future, and that efficiencies and effective shortcuts can be publicized and used as the marine energy industry moves forward. This initiative builds off the Knowledge Hubs and reaches out to members of the marine energy community, particularly technology developers and researchers, to integrate experience in the development, deployment, assessment, success, challenges while creating this new industry and field of study.

data sharing↗

DOE OSTI2021

Angle Droop Design for Grid-Forming Inverters Considering Impacts of Virtual Impedance Control

Grid-forming inverters (GFMs) based on active power-frequency droop control and reactive power-voltage droop control have been developed in recent years, which can generate voltage and frequency references for islanded power systems or microgrids to improve system-wide synchronization and power-sharing capability. It is known that the control delays in GFMs may cause system harmonic instability. To eliminate this issue, virtual impedance techniques are normally adopted. This paper gives a comprehensive examination of the impacts of virtual impedance control block Z v in GFMs on system stability. It is revealed that although Z v is effective in eliminating system harmonic stability, it may ruin system synchronization stability as a side effect. To compensate for the negative impacts caused by Z v , an active power-angle control block is added into the conventional droop control. Design criteria are also proposed accordingly to ensure system stability over the entire frequency range. Simulations and experimental testing are conducted to validate the analysis and the proposed design guidelines. It can be concluded that the Z v control-caused grid-synchronization instability issues can be eliminated with an appropriate active power-angle droop design.

Kong, Le↗

DOE OSTI2020

Irradiation and PIE of alloys X-750 and XM-19 (EPRI Phase III)

The Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) based at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), along with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), formed an agreement to test representative alloys used as reactor structural materials as a pilot program to establish guidelines for future NSUF research programs. This report contains results from the portion of this program established as Phase III (of three phases), entailing irradiation and post-irradiation examination of select alloys typical of boiling water reactor (BWR) internal structural materials. Phases I and II are the subject of separate reports and represent baseline material test results and irradiation experiment design, respectively. The intent of this Phase III research program is to determine properties for the materials of interest after being irradiated at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) to three different target fast (E>1MeV) fluences: 5.0 x 10¹⁹ n/cm², 2.0 x 10²⁰ n/cm², and 1.0 x 10²¹ n/cm². These correspond to irradiation damage levels (displacements per atom [dpa]) of approximately 0.08, 0.30, and 1.4 dpa, which represent comparable levels to (a) a previous study which looked at X-750 irradiated to ~1 x 10¹⁹ n/cm², comparable to the lowest fluence; (b) approximately a medium level of fluence for BWR components; and (c) extended life (60 – 80 years) for BWR components. The materials chosen for this research are the nickel-based alloy X-750 and austenitic stainless steel XM-19. A spare core shroud upper support bracket of alloy X-750 was purchased by EPRI from Southern Co., and a section of XM-19 plate was purchased by EPRI from GE-Hitachi. These materials were sectioned at GE Global Research Center (GE-GRC), and parts were provided to INL for use in this pilot project.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Irradiation and PIE of alloys X-750 and XM-19 (EPRI Phase III)

The Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) based at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), along with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), formed an agreement to test representative alloys used as reactor structural materials as a pilot program to establish guidelines for future NSUF research programs. This report contains results from the portion of this program established as Phase III (of three phases), entailing irradiation and post-irradiation examination of select alloys typical of boiling water reactor (BWR) internal structural materials. Phases I and II are the subject of separate reports and represent baseline material test results and irradiation experiment design, respectively. The intent of this Phase III research program is to determine properties for the materials of interest after being irradiated at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) to three different target fast (E>1MeV) fluences: 5.0 x 10¹⁹ n/cm², 2.0 x 10²⁰ n/cm², and 1.0 x 10²¹ n/cm². These correspond to irradiation damage levels (displacements per atom [dpa]) of approximately 0.08, 0.30, and 1.4 dpa, which represent comparable levels to (a) a previous study which looked at X-750 irradiated to ~1 x 10¹⁹ n/cm², comparable to the lowest fluence; (b) approximately a medium level of fluence for BWR components; and (c) extended life (60 – 80 years) for BWR components. The materials chosen for this research are the nickel-based alloy X-750 and austenitic stainless steel XM-19. A spare core shroud upper support bracket of alloy X-750 was purchased by EPRI from Southern Co., and a section of XM-19 plate was purchased by EPRI from GE-Hitachi. These materials were sectioned at GE Global Research Center (GE-GRC), and parts were provided to INL for use in this pilot project.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗