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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 721 records · Page 40
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Progress Towards Treating the Sludges Produced During Spent Fuel Processing - 19546

As a consequence of over 50 years of Magnox reprocessing, Sellafield site is in possession of significant quantities of Magnox sludge. This sludge material is the by-product of corrosion of the magnesium based Magnox metal that clads the Magnox fuel elements. Retrievals and processing of this material poses a significant challenge as corrosion of Magnox metal has occurred under a variety of conditions and over a significant period of time, in a variety of locations. Devising processes to treat heterogeneous materials offers a significant challenge to identify technologies with robust envelopes of acceptance, to effectively operate together. This is further compounded by difficulties defining test programmes and materials for testing that will provide assurance that nonradioactive testing is suitably representative or bounding. An overview of the significant body of work undertaken to process Sellafield's Magnox sludge is provided, from the thousands of commercially sensitive reports generated over the past five decades. This covers the sampling, characterisation, strategy and process evolution, technology development and test materials. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

Uniformly dispersed FeO x atomic clusters by pulsed arc plasma deposition: An efficient electrocatalyst for improving the performance of Li–O2 battery

The present study aims to explore a new method to improve the catalytic activity of non-precious metals, especially in electrochemical reactions. In this study, highly ionized Fe plasma produced by arc discharge uniformly deposit on porous carbon substrate and form atomic clusters by the Pulsed Arc Plasma Deposition technique. The as-prepared FeOx/C material was tested as a cathode material in rechargeable Li-O2 battery under different current rates. The results show a significantly improvement of the battery performance in both cycle life and reaction rate. Furthermore, XRD and SEM results show that the as-prepared cathode material has the ability to stabilize cathode and reduce side reactions, and current rate is a critical factor of the nucleation of the discharge products.

electrocatalyst↗
DOE OSTI2011

Pulse-echo phased array ultrasonic inspection of pultruded rod stitched efficient unitized structure (PRSEUS)

A PRSEUS test article was subjected to controlled impact on the skin face followed by static and cyclic axial compressions. Phased array ultrasonic inspection was conducted before impact, and after each of the test conditions. A linear phased array probe with a manual X-Y scanner was used for interrogation. Ultrasound showed a delamination between the skin and stringer flange adjacent to the impact. As designed, the stitching in the flange arrested the lateral flaw formation. Subsequent ultrasonic data showed no delamination growth due to continued loading.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2014

A wide variety of injection molding technologies is now applicable to small series and mass production

Micro plastic parts open new fields for application, e. g., to electronics, sensor technologies, optics, and medical engineering. Before micro parts can go to mass production, there is a strong need of having the possibility for testing different designs and materials including material combinations. Hence, flexible individual technical and technological solutions for processing are necessary. To manufacture high quality micro parts, a micro injection moulding machine named formicaPlast based on a two-step plunger injection technology was developed. Resulting from its design, the residence time and the accuracy problems for managing small shot volumes with reproducible high accuracy are uncompromisingly solved. Due to their simple geometry possessing smooth transitions and non adherent inner surfaces, the plunger units allow to process 'all' thermoplastics from polyolefines to high performance polymers, optical clear polymers, thermally sensitive bioresorbables, highly filled systems (the so-called powder injection molding PIM), and liquid silicon rubber (LSR, here with a special kit). The applied platform strategy in the 1K and 2K version allows integrating automation for assembling, handling and packaging. A perpendicular arrangement allows encapsulation of inserts, also partially, and integration of this machine into process chains. Considering a wide variety of different parts consisting of different materials, the high potential of the technology is demonstrated. Based on challenging industrial parts from electronic applications (2K micro MID and bump mat, where both are highly structured parts), the technological solutions are presented in more detail.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dynamic in-context learning with conversational models for data extraction and materials property prediction

The advent of natural language processing and large language models (LLMs) has revolutionized the extraction of data from unstructured scholarly papers. However, ensuring data trustworthiness remains a significant challenge. In this paper, we introduce PropertyExtractor, an open-source tool that leverages advanced conversational LLMs such as Google gemini-pro and OpenAI gpt-4, blends zero-shot with few-shot in-context learning, and employs engineered prompts for the dynamic refinement of structured information hierarchies—enabling autonomous, efficient, scalable, and accurate identification, extraction, and verification of material property data. Our tests on material data demonstrate precision and recall that exceed 95% with an error rate of ∼9%, highlighting the effectiveness and versatility of the toolkit. Finally, databases for 2D material thicknesses, a critical parameter for device integration, and energy bandgap values are developed using PropertyExtractor. In particular, for the thickness database, the rapid evolution of the field has outpaced both experimental measurements and computational methods, creating a significant data gap. Our work addresses this gap and showcases the potential of PropertyExtractor as a reliable and efficient tool for the autonomous generation of various material property databases, advancing the field.

Ekuma, Chinedu E. (ORCID:0000000258527556)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Printed Strain Gauges for Anthropomorphic Test Dummies for Vehicle Crash Testing

In Phase 1 of the technical collaboration between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Humanetics, additive manufacturing was studied as a method to produce high strain – strain gauges that are embedded in an additively manufactured (AM) anthropomorphic crash test dummy (ATD) to provide high fidelity data to significantly improve vehicle safety. In this study commercially available conductive filament was acquired and the mechanical properties were tested for use in this application. The design space of embedded printed strain gauges was explored with multiple configurations printed and tested for performance. The testing resulted in finding that commercially available filament materials were unable to meet the performance requirements. Finally, an extensive literature survey was performed on advanced manufacturing techniques and novel high strain conductive materials to manufacture strain gauges that can be embedded in to the AM ATD. Humanetics have taken the literature survey and have reached out to material suppliers such as Techmer to provide custom blends of materials for testing. Humanetics will continue to build off of the research that was performed and test custom materials for use in AM ATDs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Robust Heat-Flux Sensors for Coal-Fired Boiler Extreme Environments

In this project, robust heat-flux measurement systems were developed. The heat-flux sensors utilize thermoelectric effects to directly transduce the heat-flux inputs to analog electrical voltage signals. They were constructed from dedicated materials that can withstand temperatures of at least 1000°C and maintain adequate performance at these conditions for prolonged periods of time. The proposed approaches took into account numerous considerations, including system cost, sensor head resilience, sensor footprint, data accuracy, response time, and maintenance requirements. Through modern thermoelectric materials design, methodical materials selection and rigorous testing in materials characterization labs and medium-scale fire research facilities, we have demonstrated functioning laboratory prototypes, upon which one could base industrial heat-flux sensing platforms capable of operating in the challenging high-temperature, corrosive environments of the boilers of coal-fired power plants. A distributed sensor array for heat-flux measurements throughout the furnace water-wall, the superheater area and the economizer coils can provide critical data for the power plant control systems to increase efficiency, improve safety and reduce down times. For example, the combined heat-flux sensor/control systems can contribute to the optimization of burner and boiler operations under flexible loads, the optimization of heat-exchange conditions and overall reduction of heat rate and emissions, the prediction of imminent overheating conditions, and the optimization of the soot-blowing protocols.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Application of Direct Current Potential Drop for the J-integral vs. Crack Growth Resistance Curve Characterization

The direct current potential drop (DCPD) technique has been applied to derive the J-integral vs. crack growth resistance curve (J-R curve) for fracture toughness characterization of structural materials. The test matrix covered three materials including type 316LN stainless steels, Ni-based alloy 617, and one ferritic-martensitic steel, three specimen configurations including standard compact, single edge bending, and disk-shaped compact specimens, and temperatures ranging from 20 C to 650 C. When compared with baseline J-R curves derived from the ASTM normalization method, the original J-R curves from the DCPD technique yielded much smaller Jq values due to the influence of crack blunting, plastic deformation, etc. on potential drop. To counter these effects, a new procedure for adjusting DCPD J-R curves was proposed. After applying the new adjustment procedure, the average difference in Jq between the DCPD technique and the normalization method was only 5.2% and the difference in tearing modulus was 7.4%. The promising result demonstrates the applicability of the DCPD technique for the J-R curve characterization especially in extreme environments, such as elevated temperatures, where the conventional elastic unloading compliance method faces considerable challenges.

DCPD↗
DOE OSTI2012

Preserving physics knowledge at the fast flux test facility

One of the goals of the Dept. of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy, initiated under the Fuel Cycle Research and Development Program (FCRD) and continued under the Advanced Reactor Concepts Program (ARC) is to preserve the knowledge that has been gained in the United States on Liquid Metal Reactors (LMRs) that could support the development of an environmentally and economically sound nuclear fuel cycle. The Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) is the most recent LMR to operate in the United States, from 1982 to 1992, and was designed as a fully instrumented test reactor with on-line, real time test control and performance monitoring of components and tests installed in the reactor. The 10 years of operation of the FFTF provided a very useful framework for testing the advances in LMR safety technology based on passive safety features that may be of increased importance to new designs after the events at Fukushima. Knowledge preservation at the FFTF is focused on the areas of design, construction, and startup of the reactor, as well as on preserving information obtained from 10 years of successful operating history and extensive irradiation testing of fuels and materials. In order to ensure protection of information at risk, the program to date has sequestered reports, files, tapes, and drawings to allow for secure retrieval. A disciplined and orderly approach has been developed to respond to client's requests for documents and data in order to minimize the search effort and ensure that future requests for this information can be readily accommodated. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Scaling for Nuclear Reactor System: Overview

A scaling analysis is essential for predicting the behavior of a reactor system under various operating conditions, as well as for ensuring safe and reliable experimentation and adequate dataset generation for supporting the system code model development and assessment in accordance with USNRC guidelines 1.203. Testing and modeling can be carried out at various scales, from small test units to full-scale reactors, to validate the predictions produced by the analysis. However, due to the cost and challenges associated with full-scale testing, the nuclear industry uses scaled test facilities—integral effect test (IET) and separate effect test (SET)—to identify potential design issues and optimize the design to ensure regulatory compliance for safer operation and anticipated accident management. In general, IET facilities are non-nuclear thermal hydraulics test facilities. In contrast, SET facilities can be non-nuclear testing (e.g., steam generator, containment, pump system SETs) and nuclear testing (mostly fuel-material irradiation testing). IETs are used to study the system-level thermal-hydraulic behavior of the reactor coolant system (RCS) under different anticipated operational occurrences (AOOs) and design basis accidents (DBAs) such as loss-of-coolant-accident (LOCA) and loss-of-power (i.e., station blackout) and loss-of-flow (i.e., failure of RCS pump). Several LOCA scenarios could happen in reactor DBAs, such as main steam line break (MSLB), SG tube rapture (SGTR), break in direct vessel injection (DVI), and other small breaks LOCA. Scaling analysis determines the appropriate size and operating conditions for the test facility. This involves analyzing the system's thermal-hydraulic behavior at different scales and identifying the key parameters that affect the thermal-hydraulic behavior of the reactor. These key parameters can be identified so that the scaled facility can replicate the expected conditions in a prototypical setting. The scaled facility can simulate the same flow rates, pressure gradients, heat transfer coefficients, and fluid properties as the prototype. Scaling analysis is used to ensure that the results from these tests can be scaled up to predict the behavior of a full-scale prototype with an acceptable range of scaling distortions.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2011

ANALYTICAL NEUTRONIC STUDIES CORRELATING FAST NEUTRON FLUENCE TO MATERIAL DAMAGE IN CARBON, SILICON, AND SILICON CARBIDE

This study evaluates how fast neutron fluence >0.1 MeV correlates to material damage (i.e., the total fluence spectrum folded with the respective material’s displacements-per- atom [dpa] damage response function) for the specific material fluence spectra encountered in Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) service and the irradiation tests conducted in material test reactors (MTRs) for the fuel materials addressed in the white paper. It also reports how the evaluated correlations of >0.1 MeV fluence to material damage vary between the different spectral conditions encountered in material service versus testing.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Promoting the regulatory acceptance of combined ion and neutron irradiation for material degradation in nuclear reactors

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) program within the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy has developed its current recommendation for promoting the use of combined ion irradiation and neutron irradiation for the accelerated qualification of materials to be deployed in nuclear reactors. This plan is intended to provide a collaborative path forward that can be adopted by academia, national laboratories, and industry, and has been developed with input from the regulatory research arm of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). To deploy new materials or materials manufactured with new technologies, such as additive manufacturing, materials must be evaluated for reactor-induced degradation from the combination of harsh temperatures, corrosive environments, and radiation fields. However, rapid deployment of materials necessitates accelerated testing methods rather than relying on years of neutron irradiation in a material test reactor. Ion irradiation has demonstrated success in reproducing material microstructure and select property evolution resulting from neutron irradiation with three to four orders of magnitude reduction in time and cost, making it an ideal candidate for accelerated irradiation testing. This presentation provides context governing both the scientific and regulatory aspects of the proposed goal. The discussion is aimed at a broad audience including researchers from industry, national laboratories, and academia. The recommended path forward is presented as a conceptual framework of specific steps. In brief, the strategy entails developing an integrated ion and neutron irradiation test plan for the material property of interest based on the fundamental tenet of the linkage of microstructure and properties in materials. Physics-based modeling interprets ion irradiation data and predicts neutron irradiation microstructure and properties with uncertainty bounds. The first round of testing is sufficient for an initial licensing application using a risk-informed approach, while a minimum required neutron irradiation test plan reduces cost and time requirements. A surveillance program with witness specimens in-reactor provides additional data over time to improve model predictions to higher damage levels and further reduce uncertainty bounds, which can be used for license extensions or longer lifetimes in new license applications.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Performance evaluation of DAAF as a booster material using the onionskin test

Initiation of insensitive high explosive (IHE) formulations requires the use of a booster explosive in the initiation train. Booster material selection is crucial, as the initiation must reliably function across some spectrum of physical parameters. The interest in Diaminoazoxyfurazan (DAAF) for this application stems from the fact that it possesses many traits of an IHE but is shock sensitive enough to serve as an explosive booster. A hemispherical wave breakout test, termed the onionskin test, is one of the methods used to evaluate the performance of a booster material. The wave breakout time-position history at the surface of a hemispherical IHE charge is recorded and the relative uniformity of the breakout can be quantitatively compared between booster materials. A series of onionskin tests were performed to investigate breakout and propagation diaminoazoxyfurazan (DAAF) at low temperatures to evaluate ignition and detonation spreading in comparison to other explosives commonly used in booster applications. Some wave perturbation was observed with the DAAF booster in the onionskin tests presented. The results of these tests will be presented and discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Liquid salt environment stress-rupture testing

Disclosed herein are systems, devices and methods for stress-rupture testing selected materials within a high-temperature liquid salt environment. Exemplary testing systems include a load train for holding a test specimen within a heated inert gas vessel. A thermal break included in the load train can thermally insulate a load cell positioned along the load train within the inert gas vessel. The test specimen can include a cylindrical gage portion having an internal void filled with a molten salt during stress-rupture testing. The gage portion can have an inner surface area to volume ratio of greater than 20 to maximize the corrosive effect of the molten salt on the specimen material during testing. Also disclosed are methods of making a salt ingot for placement within the test specimen.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Baseline Evaluation of Eddy Current Testing for PWSCC Susceptible Materials

This technical letter report (TLR) summarizes technical efforts focused on assessments of eddy current testing (ET) examinations using various mockups for obtaining baseline surface and subsurface conditions on materials susceptible to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC). The scope of this work included nondestructive evaluation characterization of weld surfaces on mockups that were identified for application of various surface peening approaches. All of the work reported here was conducted prior to planned peening of these surfaces to evaluate pre-peening conditions, and subsequently compare the baseline ET results with post-peening conditions. The overall objective of this work was to demonstrate the effectiveness of employing ET for detecting near/sub-surface defects on mockups in support of peening assessments for surface stress improvement and mitigation of PWSCC in these materials. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has communicated their expectations to industry for eddy current inspections of peened, inlayed, and onlayed dissimilar metal welds and is interested in better understanding detection performance and sensitivity of ET techniques to support the development of a technical foundation for detection and sizing limits, effective ET qualification requirements, alternate inspections or programs for evaluating PWSCC mitigation processes, and development of ET acceptance standards that can be referenced in the appropriate American Society of Mechanical Engineers Section XI Code Case (N-770-X). This TLR provides a technical discussion focused on the ET data obtained, the analysis, and conclusions drawn from surface examinations of various plate standards and actual components extracted from cancelled nuclear power plants.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Prioritizing Off-Gas Metrics: A Guide for Comparable Off-Gas Capture Testing

The Material Recovery and Waste Form Development (MRWFD) off-gas team had a workshop, hosted by Idaho National Laboratory (INL), to align goals and expectations for off-gas research. The workshop included team members from four national laboratories. The workshop focused on defining distinct R&D phases with specific metrics, outlining standard test and measurement protocols for Iodine and Krypton/Xenon sorbents, brainstorming approaches to future disruptive technologies, and recognizing parameters with more inherent risk, requiring more rigorous evaluation. This report will serve as a guide for future off-gas work. Its purpose is to foster efficient collaboration across diverse research facilities and invite direct comparison of materials and results.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2014

High-heat-flux testing of irradiated tungsten-based materials for fusion applications using infrared plasma arc lamps

Testing of advanced materials and component mock-ups under prototypical fusion high-heat-flux conditions, while historically a mainstay of fusion research, has proved to be quite challenging, especially for irradiated materials. A new high-heat-flux–testing (HHFT) facility based on water-wall plasma arc lamps (PALs) is now introduced for materials and small-component testing. Two PAL systems, utilizing a 12 000°C plasma arc contained in a quartz tube cooled by a spiral water flow over the inside tube surface, provide maximum incident heat fluxes of 4.2 and 27 MW/m 2 over areas of 9×12 and 1×10 cm 2 , respectively. This paper will present the overall design and implementation of a PAL-based irradiated material target station (IMTS). The IMTS is primarily designed for testing the effects of heat flux or thermal cycling on material coupons of interest, such as those for plasma-facing components. Temperature results are shown for thermal cycling under HHFT of tungsten coupon specimens that were neutron irradiated in HFIR. Finally, radiological surveys indicated minimal contamination of the 36×36×18 cm test section, demonstrating the capability of the new facility to handle irradiated specimens at high temperature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Cladding Ring Tension Testing (RTT) of unirradiated cladding materials using Digital Image Correlation (DIC)

Cladding Ring Tension Testing (RTT) of unirradiated cladding materials using Digital Image Correlation (DIC). RTT is an important tool for determining hoop strength of thin-walled tubing, especially in anisotropic materials such as zirconium fuel cladding. The goal is to set up a DIC system to a tensile test on these RTT specimens and study the mechanical properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗