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At least 811 records · Page 45

Online Alpha Monitoring of High Cs-137 Hanford and SRS High Level Waste with Tensioned Metastable Fluid Detectors

The Department of Energy’s Hanford and Savannah River Sites maintain millions of gallons of caustic supernate and salt high activity waste in their high-level waste (HLW) tank farm inventories. The Savannah River Site is currently treating this waste with a calixarene-based solvent extraction of Cs-137 to reduce these inventories. Hanford is employing an at-tank crystalline silico titanate (CST) based solid phase extraction methodology to reduce their liquid HLW inventories. Due to the high solubility of Cs-137 and the relative insolubility of the actinides in these caustic waste forms, the beta to alpha radioactivity ratio can often exceed six orders of magnitude in the feed solutions to these treatment processes. This unique characteristic leads to significant technical challenges in making rapid gross alpha measurements in the presence of the overwhelming beta, gamma, as well as dissolved sodium salt in these HLW matrices. Conventional radioanalytical techniques, such as liquid scintillation analysis or gas flow proportional counting require significant radiochemistry preparation prior to the radiometric measurements for gross alpha activity. These required pretreatments render these technologies untenable for rapid quantification of gross alpha activity that could be required to support on or at-line measurements ensuring a waste stream will meet regulatory requirements. The radiation measurement properties of Tensioned Metastable Fluid Detectors (TMFDs) have been studied by Purdue University’s Taleyarkhan research group for well over a decade. Fluids tensioned to the appropriate degree will rupture when struck by radiation, resulting in a measurable cavitation event. The negative pressure generating this tension can be adjusted by centrifugal rotation or by acoustic means in such a way that these cavitation events can be generated from alpha radiation but will not be generated by beta or gamma radiation. Purdue University and the Savannah River National Laboratory are currently collaborating to develop a gamma/beta blind, spectroscopic alpha measurement system based on the Tensioned Metastable Fluid Detector technology to provide a potential solution for performing rapid gross alpha measurements on these high gamma/beta sample matrices. Measurements using the Indirect Drive Acoustically Tensioned Metastable Fluid Detectors developed as part of this collaboration were performed with an alpha emitting radionuclide. Successful determination of gross alpha activity was observed, indicating a potential pathway for rapid gross alpha measurements in remote-handled shielded cells or in process situations requiring online alpha monitoring. Measurements using this system have been conducted on high beta activity solutions, demonstrating the beta blind capability of this system. Measurements are currently underway to test the system’s capability to measure gross alpha activity on Savannah River Site high level waste high Cs-137 samples that have been measured by the SRNL radiochemistry team. This work was supported by the DOE EM Technology Development program.

DiPrete, David [Savannah River National Laboratory↗

Revisiting the empirical particle-fluid coupling model used in DEM-CFD by high-resolution DEM-LBM-IMB simulations: A 2D perspective

The work investigates the applicability of the unresolved Computational Fluid Dynamics and Discrete Element Method (CFDDEM) technique based on empirical equations for fluid-particle coupling. We first carry out a series of representative volume element simulations using the high-resolution particle-resolved Lattice Boltzmann method and Discrete Element Method (LBMDEM) coupled by an Immersed Moving Boundary (IMB) scheme. Then, we compare the results obtained by both LBMDEM and empirical equations used in unresolved CFDDEM with analytical solutions. It is found that the existing empirical equations used in solving fluid-particle interactions in 2D CFDDEM fail to accurately calculate the hydrodynamic force applied to solid particles. The underlying reason is that the existing empirical models are obtained based on 3D experimental results and thus are not applicable to 2D problems. Based on the simulation results, a new drag coefficient model is then proposed. The estimated drag forces using the new model are compared favourably with the simulated ones, indicating the good performance of the proposed model.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Fluid and gyrokinetic turbulence in open field-line, helical plasmas

Two-fluid Braginskii codes have simulated open-field line turbulence for over a decade, and only recently, it has become possible to study these systems with continuum gyrokinetic codes. This work presents a first-of-its-kind comparison between fluid and (long-wavelength) gyrokinetic models in open field-lines, using the GDB and Gkeyll codes to simulate interchange turbulence in the Helimak device at the University of Texas [T. N. Bernard et al., Phys. Plasmas 26, 042301 (2019)]. Partial agreement is attained in a number of diagnostic channels when the GDB sources and sheath boundary conditions (BCs) are selected carefully, especially the heat-flux BCs that can drastically alter the temperature. The radial profile of the fluctuation levels is qualitatively similar and quantitatively comparable on the low-field side, although statistics such as moments of the probability density function and the high-frequency spectrum show greater differences. This comparison indicates areas for future improvement in both simulations, such as sheath BCs, and improvements in GDB like particle conservation and spatially varying thermal conductivity, in order to achieve better fluid-gyrokinetic agreement and increase fidelity when simulating experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

The kinetic origin of the fluid helicity—A symmetry in the kinetic phase space

Helicity, a topological degree that measures the winding and linking of vortex lines, is preserved by ideal (barotropic) fluid dynamics. In the context of the Hamiltonian description, the helicity is a Casimir invariant characterizing a foliation of the associated Poisson manifold. Casimir invariants are special invariants that depend on the Poisson bracket, not on the particular choice of the Hamiltonian. The total mass (or particle number) is another Casimir invariant, whose invariance guarantees the mass (particle) conservation (independent of any specific choice of the Hamiltonian). In a kinetic description (e.g., that of the Vlasov equation), the helicity is no longer an invariant (although the total mass remains a Casimir of the Vlasov’s Poisson algebra). The implication is that some “kinetic effect” can violate the constancy of the helicity. To elucidate how the helicity constraint emerges or submerges, we examine the fluid reduction of the Vlasov system; the fluid (macroscopic) system is a “sub-algebra” of the kinetic (microscopic) Vlasov system. In the Vlasov system, the helicity can be conserved if a special helicity symmetry condition holds. To put it another way, breaking helicity symmetry induces a change in the helicity. We delineate the geometrical meaning of helicity symmetry and show that for a special class of flows (the so-called epi-two-dimensional flows), the helicity symmetry is written as ∂γ = 0 for a coordinate γ of the configuration space.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Measurement of net whole-body transcapillary fluid transport and effective vascular compliance in humans

BACKGROUND: Net whole-body transcapillary fluid transport (TFT) between the circulation and the interstitial (extravascular) space may be calculated as: IV - deltaPV - UV - IL, where IV=infused or ingested volume (when applicable), deltaPV = change in plasma volume, UV=urine volume, and IL=insensible loss. RESULTS: Infusion of 30 mL/kg isotonic saline over 25 minutes increased supine TFT from a basal capillary reabsorption of -106+/-24 mL/h (mean+/-SE) to a net filtration of 1,229+/-124 mL/h. One hour after infusion, reabsorption of -236+/-102 mL/h was seen, and control reabsorption levels returned by 3 hours. Four hours of 30 mm Hg lower body negative pressure (LBNP) elicited no net TFT, probably because of upper body reabsorptive compensation for lower body capillary filtration. When ingestion of 1 L of isotonic saline accompanied LBNP, filtration of 145+/-10 mL/h occurred. Reabsorption of extravascular fluid into the circulation always followed LBNP. CONCLUSION: Application of this technique could aid understanding of physiologic conditions, experimental interventions, disease states, and therapies that cause or are influenced by fluid shifts between intravascular and interstitial compartments.

NASA Center JSC↗

Validation & Verification of CFD Models for Cryogenic Fluid Management of Propellant Tanks in Space

This article describes the need and the strategy for CFD model development, validation, and verification for Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) of Propellant Tanks in Space. It describes the type of CFD models that must be developed to address the future needs of Space CFM. It also discusses the two classes of experiments currently used to validate the fidelity of the CFD models. These two experiment classes are: (a) the small-scale simulant fluid science experiments that are equipped with scientific diagnostics to elucidate the underlying two-phase fluid physics of the CFM processes; and (b) the large-scale cryogenic experiments that assess the engineering performance of the propellant tank for storage and transfer. The current status of the CFD model development and validation is briefly assessed by presenting examples of segregated two-phase flow problems that have been successfully modeled. The future model development directions for CFM situations involving more complex interpenetrating phases are also defined.

Cryogenic Fluid Management↗

Verification of numerical models for seismic fluid-structure interaction analysis of internal components in liquid-filled advanced reactors

Earthquake shaking of a liquid-filled advanced reactor induces fluid-structure interaction (FSI) between the reactor vessel (tank), its internal components, and the contained liquid. Seismic design, qualification, and risk assessment of such reactors must consider fluid-structure responses, their geometries and support conditions, and three-directional seismic inputs, all of which require numerical simulations. Numerical models used for analysis of safety-related nuclear equipment must be verified and validated. Here, this paper verifies numerical models of submerged components using analytical solutions. Seismic FSI analysis of the numerical models is performed using the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) and Incompressible Computational Fluid Dynamics (ICFD) solvers in LS-DYNA. Prior analytical solutions are reworked in this paper, and calculation errors are identified and corrected. The solutions address frequencies of two concentric cylindrical pipes filled with liquid: the inner pipe is a submerged component, and the outer pipe contains the liquid. A unitless frequency coefficient is defined and presented for pipes of different materials, filled with different liquids, and with a range of dimensions for application to advanced reactors. The numerical models are verified here by comparing the lateral frequencies of submerged components with those calculated using the corrected analytical solutions. Recommendations for verification of numerical models of internal components in advanced reactors for seismic FSI analysis are provided. Although the unitless frequency coefficients and verification procedures are developed for application to advanced nuclear reactors, they are broadly applicable to FSI analysis of submerged components in liquid-filled vessels such as storage tanks, boilers, and steam generators.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

A mineral precipitation model based on the volume of fluid method

A novel volume of fluid method is presented for mineral precipitation coupled with fluid flow and reactive transport. The approach describes the fluid-solid interface as a smooth transitional region, which is designed to provide the same precipitation rate and viscous drag force as a sharp interface. Specifically, the governing equation of mineral precipitation is discretized by an upwind scheme, and a rigorous effective viscosity model is derived around the interface. The model is validated against analytical solutions for mineral precipitation in channel and ring-shaped structures. It also compares well with interface tracking simulations of advection-diffusion-reaction problems. Here, the methodology is finally employed to model mineral precipitation in fracture networks, which is challenging due to the low porosity and complex geometry. Compared to other approaches, the proposed model has a concise algorithm and contains no free parameters. In the modeling, only the pore space requires meshing, which improves the computational effciency especially for low-porosity media.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Thermal Analysis of a Solid Particle Light-Trapping Planar Cavity Receiver Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Concentrated solar power (CSP) is one of the most effective ways of harnessing solar power to create efficient, durable, and resilient energy systems. This study entails thermal modeling and analysis of a novel central tower receiver configuration. This receiver uses solid particles as the heat transfer fluid (HTF), a promising option for third-generation CSP systems. The configuration considered here is the light-trapping planar cavity receiver (LTPCR) introduced by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. While heat transfer studies of various LTPCR subsystems have been done, system-level thermal analysis of the LTPCR receiver has not been attempted. This study also presents important sensitivity analyses of the operating parameters of the CSP system, which can help guide the design of future central tower receivers. This study employs Ansys Fluent as a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool to model fluid dynamics and heat transfer in the receiver, intending to quantify its thermal performance. The model seamlessly integrates Monte Carlo ray tracing data, which generates absorbed solar flux profiles from the heliostat field design, with the heat transfer characteristics of the fluidized particle bed. This unified model is designed to accurately predict the thermal behavior of the LTPCR. Analysis of preliminary results reveals that the primary loss mechanisms are radiative and natural convective losses, in that order. Based on observations from a baseline case, several strategies are suggested and numerically tested. These solutions include selective cooling of high-temperature regions and manipulation of particle bed parameters. Selective cooling of high-temperature regions reduced the peak temperature by 151 degrees C and decreased thermal losses by 0.9%. Improving the particle-wall heat transfer coefficient (P-W HTC) of the particle bed decreased the thermal losses by 1.7% and decreased the peak temperatures by 57 degrees C. Decreasing the particle inlet temperature (PIT) also reduced thermal losses by 3.5% and decreased peak temperatures by 29 degrees C. Compounding these strategies improved the thermal losses of the receiver from 13.5% in the baseline case to 7.5%. Additionally, the study explores the variation in thermal performance across different locations of the receiver, where a variation of thermal losses from 12.9% to 17.3% is found. This allows a comprehensive evaluation of potential improvements in efficiency and temperature management.

computational fluid dynamics↗

Geochemical evolution in Cacapon member: Fluid-rock interaction experiments and model insights for Appalachian Basin geothermal development

Here, this study combines recirculated flow-through experimental results conducted for 17 days at 90C and 200 PSI with reactive transport modeling to estimate fluid-rock interactions occurring in a sandy mudstone using an interbedded sandstone-shale sample from the Cacapon Member of the upper Tuscarora Sandstone/lower Rose Hill Formation for the purpose of geothermal exploration. Results suggest that the fluid and rock are likely to be in or near partial-equilibrium after approximately one year. In addition, after >400 h of continuous injection at 0.05 mL/min (5*10 −8 m 3 /min) the reactive front is restricted to the first ∼13% of the 4 cm*1.6 cm experimental rock length, whereas after >9100 h (∼1 year), the reactive front extends to 30% total length. The rate of changes in dissolution or precipitation are however, very minimal, with all major rock-forming minerals having rates <10 −11 mol/L porous media/s. Reservoir rock in the presence of dilute brine as may be the case during operation of an enhanced geothermal system would experience little alteration during the shut-in phase, and possibly up to one year. These results have utility in geothermal exploration for reservoirs at similar temperatures as well as general fluid-sandy mudstone rock interaction geochemistry.

Appalachian Basin↗

Review of analytical studies on seismic fluid-structure interaction of base-supported cylindrical tanks

Analytical solutions for seismic fluid-structure interaction (FSI) of tanks are used by analysts and engineers for a number of purposes, including preliminary sizing, risk assessment, and verification of numerical models. Analytical solutions for seismic FSI of tanks were first developed in the 1930s and have been extended and/or modified in the following nine decades to accommodate different seismic inputs and boundary conditions. This report reviews published analytical solutions for rigid and flexible, base-supported, cylindrical tanks subjected to unidirectional horizontal motion of a small amplitude. The studies parsed the fluid-structure (FSI) response into an impulsive and a convective component, and addressed frequencies of lateral motions of the tank (i.e., impulsive frequencies), hydrodynamic pressures, frequencies of waves (i.e., convective frequencies), wave heights, and reactions at the base. The solutions were categorized into exact and approximate solutions based on the methodologies used. Herein, FSI responses are calculated and compared for a range of tank dimensions using the analytical solutions from the different studies. The responses presented here are normalized to be unitless, and can be used for tanks with different dimensions and mechanical properties, and subjected to different input motions. A sample steel water tank is analyzed using the normalized solutions for two earthquake ground motions with different frequency contents. Ignoring tank flexibility may significantly underestimate seismic responses of the tank and its contained fluid. The approximate solutions, which have been widely used for decades, may not be sufficiently accurate in the modern era. Calculation errors in the reviewed studies are identified and corrected, and differences are quantified for the sample tank.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Rheological investigation of effect of high temperature on geothermal drilling fluids additives and lost circulation materials

High temperatures (HT) and the corrosive environment make the design of a geothermal drilling fluid a highly complex task. The presence of HT exacerbates the problems due to thermal degradation. Geothermal aquifers usually combine high-temperature and complex chemistry, making them highly corrosive. Although geothermal drilling fluids are exposed to thermal degradation, research of the effect on mud rheological properties in temperatures near or above 149°C (300°F) is limited. In this study, a High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) rheology setup was used to measure drilling fluids' properties up to 204.4°C (400°F). Rheological behavior of viscosity, density, lost circulation, and alkalinity control additives were analyzed at HT. It was found experimentally that Bentonite alone is thermally stable at HT. In contrast, Caustic Soda showed a tendency to gelate at temperatures above 93.3°C (200°F), adversely affecting mud rheology. Alkalinity control materials to replace Caustic Soda were evaluated. Among them, Lime presented the best thermal stability at 204.4°C with a range of variation of 0.0024 Pa.s (2.4 cP) on apparent viscosity after three consecutive tests. Besides, it was tested 11 different lost circulation materials (LCM) for understanding their rheological behavior at HT. Further, it was found that HT has less impact on fine granular materials rheological behavior with an average increase of 17.7% compared with the baseline. In contrast, flaky, fibrous, and coarse granular materials presented a more apparent impact in WBM rheology with a deviation of 166% compared with the baseline.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Performance analysis of single-phase immersion cooling system of data center using FC-40 dielectric fluid

Immersion cooling technologies have become an emerging cooling method for data center cooling. The studies available in open literature dealt with immersion cooling performance of data servers using mineral oil, EC-100, and Opticool 872552, but the studies focusing on the performance of FC-40 dielectric fluid is not available. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a single-phase liquid immersion cooling system using FC-40 dielectric fluid for a 1U (44.45 mm height) data server. The present study experimentally investigated the influence of different design and operating parameters, including the inlet/outlet port configuration (T and Z configurations), the bypass effect, the flowrate (1–3 LPM), the heating load (200–600 W), the inlet fluid temperature (15–35 °C), the presence of suction fan with various arrangements, and different heat sink bases (solid base, vapor chamber and heat pipe base). The results showed that the T-configuration could provide a 12.6% and 0.5–2.8 °C reduction in thermal resistance and case temperature compared to the Z-configuration, respectively. Additionally, the heat sink with heat pipe and vapor chamber base offered a minimum case temperature of 56.7 °C and 55.2 °C against the 60 °C experienced in the heat sink with flat plate base, respectively.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Determining the extent of potential fugitive fluid migration from geologic carbon storage in hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs: Insights from one-dimensional numerical modeling

Numerical modeling of Geologic Carbon Sequestration in permeable reservoirs initially containing hydrocarbons is conducted using the multi-phase, multi-component thermohydrologic simulator TOGA (TOUGH Oil, Gas, Aqueous; TOUGH stands for Transport Of Unsaturated Groundwater and Heat), to determine how phase and composition of the original fluids influence the extent of the zone where upward fugitive fluid migration could potentially occur, denoted R f . The area within R f comprises regions of substantially elevated pressure and free-phase CO 2 saturation, where a breach in reservoir sealing capacity would lead to upward fugitive fluid migration. The model examines the conditions within the storage reservoir that could lead to fugitive flow, but does not model the fugitive flow itself. A one-dimensional radial model of the storage reservoir is used, and three initial phase conditions are considered: single-phase aqueous, two-phase gas-aqueous, and three-phase oil-gas-aqueous. Components that may be present are H 2 O, CO 2 , CH 4 , C 4 H 10 , and C 10 H 22 . The most important factors controlling Rf are (1) the initial gas-phase saturation within the reservoir, and (2) the lateral extent of multi-phase initial conditions, particularly CO 2 . The composition of liquid and gas phases has a secondary effect. The impact of reservoir depth, thickness, injection rate, and hydrologic properties are also briefly examined, with thickness (or equivalently injection rate) having the biggest effect. These results can help to understand important trends in potential response of CO 2 -EOR fields being considered for dedicated CO 2 storage.

CO₂ plume migration↗

Modeling the dynamic response of rock masses with multiple compliant fluid saturated joint sets - Part II: Continuum modeling

Part I of this two-part paper describes enhancements of a mesoscale model to include: many non-persistent fluid saturated joints with finite area, normal compliance with hysteresis and the weakening effects of angular deviation in the joint sets and of fluid pressure in the joints. The objective of this Part II is to use the results of the mesoscale model as simulated data to inspire functional forms in a continuum model for rock masses with multiple compliant fluid saturated joint sets which include these enhancements. Also, an algorithm is proposed for reducing the number of joint sets being modeled. Examples are presented here which show that the continuum model can predict similar anisotropic response to that observed in mesoscale simulations. In contrast with the mesoscale model, the continuum model can be used for large scale simulations of real applications, smoothly transitioning from coupled inelastic thermomechanical response near an explosive source to orthotropic elastic response far from the source.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Localization of deformation in fluid-saturated sandstone

Herein we discuss a laboratory study of inelastic deformation and localization was conducted to evaluate microseismicity and fracture in fluid-saturated rock. Plane strain compression experiments were performed on oil- and water-saturated Berea sandstone under dry, drained, undrained, and quasi-unjacketed conditions. Parameters associated with the elastic and inelastic material response were accurately measured and used in a constitutive model to predict localization of deformation under the drained and undrained conditions. Acoustic emission (AE) activity was recorded and the onset of inelastic response in fluid-saturated rock, similar to dry rock, coincided with an increase in AE rate. Fracture initiation and propagation were successfully monitored by AE locations. Clustering of AE events and the start of inhomogeneous deformation inferred from displacement measurements are shown to be well correlated with the model prediction of the onset of localized deformation under various rock-fluid interaction conditions.

42 ENGINEERING↗

A fully-integrated lattice Boltzmann method for fluid–structure interaction

Here we present a fully-integrated lattice Boltzmann (LB) method for fluid–structure interaction (FSI) simulations that efficiently models deformable solids in complex suspensions and active systems. Our Eulerian method (LBRMT) couples finite-strain solids to the LB fluid on the same fixed computational grid with the reference map technique (RMT). An integral part of the LBRMT is a new LB boundary condition for moving deformable interfaces across different densities. With this fully Eulerian solid–fluid coupling, the LBRMT is well-suited for parallelization and simulating multi-body contact without remeshing or extra meshes. We validate its accuracy via a benchmark of a deformable solid in a lid-driven cavity, then showcase its versatility through examples of soft solids rotating and settling. The LBRMT achieves a spatial convergence rate between first-order and second-order for FSI simulations and is designed for low to intermediate Reynolds number flows with finite inertia at small Mach numbers. With simulations of complex suspensions mixing, we highlight the potential of the LBRMT for studying collective behavior in soft matter and biofluid dynamics.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

A Poisson equation method for prescribing fully developed non-Newtonian inlet conditions for computational fluid dynamics simulations in models of arbitrary cross-section

Prescribing inlet boundary conditions for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of internal flow in complex geometries such as anatomical vascular models is challenging. In the absence of patient-specific inlet velocity data, a common approach for long blood vessels is to assume that the inlet flow is fully developed. In vessels of irregular cross section, however, prescribing fully developed conditions is complicated due to the lack of a general closed-form analytical solution. In this study, we develop a simple Poisson equation method for prescribing fully developed inlet conditions for the flow of either Newtonian or non-Newtonian fluids in CFD models of arbitrary cross-section. We first derive the generalized Poisson equation for fully developed flow of a non-Newtonian fluid and we then develop and verify a methodology for numerically computing the solution on any planar boundary domain. In addition, we develop a simple extension of the method for prescribing a non-orthogonal inlet velocity that represents fully developed flow from an upstream tube that is connected to the CFD inlet at a non-orthogonal angle. This may be used to investigate a common source of uncertainty in CFD simulations of internal flow that is due to a lack of information concerning the exact streamwise flow direction at the inlets. Comparison to several Newtonian and non-Newtonian benchmark verification solutions shows the method to be extremely accurate. As a practical demonstration case, we use the method to prescribe fully developed conditions on multiple non-circular inlets for the non-Newtonian flow of blood in a patient-specific model of the inferior vena cava (IVC). Finally, we further demonstrate the utility of the method by performing a sensitivity study using the patient-specific IVC model, wherein we investigate the influence of inlet velocity flow direction on the non-Newtonian IVC hemodynamics. Given its simplicity and computational efficiency, the method is shown to be far superior to alternative approaches for prescribing fully developed inlet conditions in such complicated geometries. In conclusion, to facilitate the adoption of our Poisson equation method, we have distributed our OpenFOAM source code and the associated test cases from this study as open-source software.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗