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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

A smart alarm for particle accelerator beamline operations

We present the initial results of a proof-of-concept 'smart alarm' for the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility injector beamline at Jefferson Lab. To minimize machine downtime and improve operational efficiency, an autonomous alarm system able to identify and diagnose unusual machine states is needed. Our approach leverages a trained neural network capable of alerting operators (a) when an anomalous condition exists in the beamline and (b) identifying the element setting that is the root cause. The tool is based on an inverse model that maps beamline readings (diagnostic readbacks) to settings (beamline attributes operators can modify). The model takes as input readings from the machine and computes machine settings which are compared to control setpoints. Instances where predictions differ from setpoints by a user-defined threshold are flagged as anomalous. Given data corresponding to 354 anomalous injector configurations, the model can narrow the root cause of an anomalous condition to three potential candidates with 94.6% accuracy. Furthermore, compared to the current method of identifying anomalous conditions which raises an alarm when machine parameters drift outside their normal tolerances, the data-driven model can identify 83% more anomalous conditions.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Northstar Accelerator Based Mo99 Production Facility Design Support

Facility design support in FY20 centered on transfer of the target insertion and design details to MBraun and Springs, the companies under contract via Northstar to do the hot cell, target insertion and the local target shielding. A significant number of changes have been introduced by these vendors which have been reviewed and critiqued. In addition, the company contracted to produce the Mo100 disks announced that the tolerance on the thickness of 0.5 mm would be ±25%. An alternative design of the target holder was proposed. Bulk shielding and local target shielding design work has continued also and will be reported. Ongoing design and cooling issues continue to arise as the facility takes shape and moves toward completion. LANL is part of the team identifying, analyzing and designing solutions to these issues. Many of these are covered in this report.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Chromium-doped uranium dioxide fuels: A review

UO 2 doped with parts per million CR 2 O 3 powder is considered a potential near term accident tolerant fuel candidate. Here, the results of decades of industry and academic research into Cr-doped UO 2 are analyzed and their shortcomings are critiqued. Focusing on the incorporation mechanisms of Cr into the fuel matrix, we explore a mechanistic understanding of the characteristic properties of Cr-doped UO 2 , notably, enhanced fission gas retention attributed to enlarged grain sizes following sintering, along with marginal improvements in the thermophysical properties. The findings of recent X-ray Adsorption Near Edge Spectroscopy studies were compared and put into conversation with historic data regarding the incorporation of Cr in UO 2 . On the basis of defect mechanisms, the case is made for the substitutional incorporation of Cr governing the lattice solubility but not the enhanced U diffusivity. Instead, Cr/CR 2 O 3 redox chemistry in a well-defined oxygen potential explains the differences in the U diffusivity and O/M ratio. The primary mechanism of doping enhanced grain growth is found to be liquid assisted sintering due to a CRO (1) eutectic phase at the grain boundaries. The role of inhomogeneities in Cr concentration in UO 2 at various length scales across the materials microstructure is highlighted and connected to promising experimental and modeling work to fill in the gaps in the current understanding of Cr-doped UO 2 . The review considers both the open scientific questions and engineering applications to illustrate the deep connections between the practice and theory in the design of accident tolerant nuclear fuels. In conclusion, the review ends with an outline of future works that combine meticulous irradiation studies and high resolution experiments with next generation modeling and simulations techniques empowered by machine learning advances to accelerate the fabrication and adoption of Cr-doped UO 2 light water reactors.

Cleveland, Mack Wesley [Massachusetts Inst. of Tec↗
DOE OSTI2021

Resonant and random excitations on the proton beam in the Large Hadron Collider for active halo control with pulsed hollow electron lenses

We present the results of numerical simulations and experimental studies about the effects of resonant and random excitations on proton losses, emittances, and beam distributions in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In addition to shedding light on complex nonlinear effects, these studies are applied to the design of hollow electron lenses (HEL) for active beam halo control. In the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC), a considerable amount of energy will be stored in the beam tails. To control and clean the beam halo, the installation of two hollow electron lenses, one per beam, is being considered. In standard electron-lens operation, a proton bunch sees the same electron current at every revolution. Pulsed electron beam operation (i.e., different currents for different turns) is also considered, because it can widen the range of achievable halo removal rates. For an axially symmetric electron beam, only protons in the halo are excited. If a residual field is present at the location of the beam core, these particles are exposed to time-dependent transverse kicks and to noise. We discuss the numerical simulations and the experiments conducted in 2016 and 2017 at injection energy in the LHC. The excitation patterns were generated by the transverse feedback and damping system, which acted as a flexible source of dipole kicks. Proton beam losses, emittances, and transverse distributions were recorded as a function of excitation patterns and strengths. The resonant excitations induced rich dynamical effects and nontrivial changes of the beam distributions, which, to our knowledge, have not previously been observed and studied in this detail. We conclude with a discussion of the tolerable and achievable residual fields and proposals for further studies.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Design options for a superconducting ion linac

Following a review of the design options for a superconducting ion linac, we present here an alternative design for the pre-stripper section of the superconducting driver linac for the rare isotope science project (RISP) of the Institute for Basic Science in Korea. The proposed alternative design takes advantage of the recent accelerator developments at Argonne, namely for the recent ATLAS intensity and efficiency upgrade and the Fermilab proton improvement plan project (PIP-II). In particular, the state-of-the-art performance of quarter-wave (QWRs) and half-wave resonators (HWRs), the integrated steering correctors and cold beam position monitors (BPMs) for a compact cryomodule design. In order to simplify the design and avoid frequency transitions, we used two types of QWRs at 81.25 MHz while the baseline design has QWRs at 81.25 MHz and HWRs at 162.5 MHz. The new QWR types were optimized for β ~0.05 and ~0.11, respectively, and corrected for beam steering effects. Nine cryomodules are required to reach the stripping energy of 18.5 MeV/u for uranium beam. An alternative radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) design was also developed. It is optimized with the multi-harmonic buncher (MHB) to produce a much smaller longitudinal emittance, offering much needed flexibility for beam tuning and more tolerance to errors. Following the lattice design optimization, end-to-end beam dynamics simulations including most important sources of machine error were performed. The results showed that the design is robust and tolerant to errors with no beam loss observed for typical machine errors.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

The influence of electrode crack dimensions on the durability of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Electrode cracks in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are correlated with early onset failures. Here, in this work we investigate the influence of cracked gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) on the durability of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) using a combined chemical-mechanical accelerated stress test (AST). Electrode crack dimensions were systematically tuned using ink formulations and material selection strategies. A parameter to describe the crack width areal density (Φ CW ) was used to quantify the degree of discontinuity in the electrode surfaces. Open circuit voltage (OCV) transient analyses were used to benchmark and characterize the failure mechanisms in the MEAs as a function of the Φ CW . While smaller electrode-level cracks, on the order of microns, yielded a 28 % decrease in operating lifetime, larger cracks that propagated from a discontinuous, microporous layer (MPL) coating, decreased the operating lifetime by 56 %. This work emphasizes the need for material processing strategies that consider defect tolerances to limit membrane failures in PEMFCs.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Bridging paradigms: Designing for HPC-Quantum convergence

Here, this paper presents a comprehensive software stack architecture for integrating quantum computing (QC) capabilities with High-Performance Computing (HPC) environments. While quantum computers show promise as specialized accelerators for scientific computing, their effective integration with classical HPC systems presents significant technical challenges. We propose a hardware-agnostic software framework that supports both current noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices and future fault-tolerant quantum computers, while maintaining compatibility with existing HPC workflows. The architecture includes a quantum gateway interface, standardized APIs for resource management, and robust scheduling mechanisms to handle both simultaneous and interleaved quantum–classical workloads. Key innovations include: (1) a unified resource management system that efficiently coordinates quantum and classical resources, (2) a flexible quantum programming interface that abstracts hardware-specific details, (3) A Quantum Platform Manager API that simplifies the integration of various quantum hardware systems, and (4) a comprehensive tool chain for quantum circuit optimization and execution. We demonstrate our architecture through implementation of quantum–classical algorithms, including the variational quantum linear solver, showcasing the framework’s ability to handle complex hybrid workflows while maximizing resource utilization. This work provides a foundational blueprint for integrating QC capabilities into existing HPC infrastructures, addressing critical challenges in resource management, job scheduling, and efficient data movement between classical and quantum resources.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2026

ORBIT CORRECTION STUDIES ON THE ELECTRON TRANSPORT LINE FROM RCS TO ESR

A dedicated electron transfer line from Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS) to Electron Storage Ring (ESR), referred to as the RTE line has been designed for the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC). The beamline follows a straight-line geometry, with a length of 133 m, and is consists with two matching sections and a FODO section for beam diagnostics. Imperfections with magnet alignments introduce orbit distortions, making orbit correction scheme a critical component in the design. To facilitate orbit correction, each quadrupole magnet is equipped with a pair of beam position monitors (BPMs) and kickers. The Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) algorithm is used for orbit correction and tolerance studies. This paper presents the ongoing progress in the optics design and error correction scheme of the RTE line.

Neththikumara, I. [Thomas Jefferson National Accel↗
DOE OSTI2024

Failure investigation and mitigation after experimental research reactor fuel plate deformation in an irradiation device

Experimental research reactor fuel testing is conducted in the Belgian Reactor 2 (BR2) of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN) in dedicated irradiation vehicles or rigs. One such vehicle allows flat full-size fuel plates to be irradiated by inserting them into slotted baskets that captures a narrow portion of the longitudinal edges of the plates. The motion of the fuel plates within the baskets is possible within the narrow slots and thus, the plate is considered to be unattached. The design intentionally omits fixing mechanisms of the fuel plates to the baskets to facilitate the inspection and repositioning of the plates between the irradiation cycles and the accommodation of thermal expansion of the plates in the lateral direction. However, loosely inserted fuel plates have weak structural boundary conditions allowing for larger out-of-plane deflections caused by hydrodynamic loads exerted by the flowing coolant, as compared to those of fixed plates. Unexpected large deformations of plates occurred in several irradiation cycles that further resulted in a loss of cladding integrity. These deformations could not be attributed to a single source. This triggered a series of thermal hydraulic, structural, and fluid-structure interaction analyses aiming at understanding the observed phenomenon. The analyses revealed that, for a certain combination of unfavorable manufacturing and assembly tolerances, fuel plate edges could escape out of the slots in the irradiation basket due to the hydrodynamic load. Subsequently, the plate could become wedged inside the basket coolant channel opening. This resulted in reduced coolant flow and accelerated temperature increase and thermal expansion of the plate while under irradiation. This unfavorable feedback loop could then lead to excessive plate surface temperatures, deformed plates and cladding failure, as was observed in the experiments. These analyses not only provided a probable cause of the fuel plate failures, but also resulted in a new and improved design of the irradiation basket to avoid these issues in the future. In conclusion, a series of recent successful irradiations confirm that the sources of failures were identified correctly, and the implemented mitigations were adequate.

BR2↗
DOE OSTI2025

RaDIATE Collaboration Thermal shock studies

As next-generation accelerator target facilities (High Energy Physics, Spallation Sources, ... ) become increasingly more powerful and intense, high power target systems face key technical challenges, such as radiation damage and thermal shock. Those ultimately degrade the performance and lifetime of targets and have been identified as the leading cross-cutting challenges of high-power target facilities. In order to operate reliable beam-intercepting devices in the framework of energy and intensity increase for next generation accelerators, the RaDIATE Collaboration (Radiation Damage In Accelerator Target Environment), established in 2012 and managed by Fermilab, brings together existing expertise in nuclear material and accelerator targets from 20 international institutions, including CERN, to execute a coordinated strategy for high power targetry R&D. In this context, several thermal shock studies were performed at CERN's HiRadMat (High-Radiation to Materials) facility, that took a key step towards improving our knowledge on target damage tolerance. The first experiment HRMT-24, supported by EURCARD2 and completed in 2015, successfully validated the Johnson-Cook strength model developed at SwRI on beryllium S200FH (used for beam window material), providing a better confidence in simulating the thermal shock response of current and future S200FH beryllium components. HRMT-43, supported by ARIES and completed in 2018, tested various materials (Be, C, SiC, Si, Ti and ceramic nanofiber). It was a first and unique test which included pre-irradiated specimens from high energy proton beam irradiation to identify thermal shock response differences between non-irradiated and previously irradiated materials. Real-time measurement of dynamic thermomechanical response of graphite helped to benchmark numerical simulations.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Application of Peracetic Acid in Poultry Processing: Effects of Treatment Dynamics and Emerging Risk of Resistance Development in Salmonella spp.

Nontyphoidal Salmonella is a leading cause of foodborne illness, with poultry representing a major source. Peracetic acid (PAA), a widely adopted antimicrobial in poultry processing, offers advantages over traditional disinfectants but has sparked interest in its combined use with other antimicrobials and potential resistance. This review evaluates the efficacy of PAA in mitigating Salmonella in combination with other food-grade antimicrobials, explores possible synergism, efficacy under varying treatment parameters, resistance development against PAA, and its role in resistance evolution. While PAA demonstrates broad-spectrum efficacy, its performance varies with environmental parameters; higher temperatures generally enhance antimicrobial action but also accelerate PAA degradation. Organic matter diminishes PAA efficacy by reactive quenching. Variability in concentration and contact time further influences outcomes. Despite its oxidative mode of action and presumed low risk for resistance, emerging studies indicate that Salmonella can develop adaptive tolerance and potential cross/coresistance following repeated or sublethal exposure to PAA. These adaptations may involve genetic upregulation of oxidative stress response pathways, efflux systems, and modifications in cell membrane integrity, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of PAA use. Additionally, combinatorial treatments (e.g., PAA with UV-C, enzymes, or organic acids) show promise in enhancing efficacy while mitigating resistance risks. Despite recognition of PAA's safety and effectiveness, knowledge gaps remain regarding standardized resistance definitions, serotype-specific tolerance, and optimal intervention strategies in commercial settings. Therefore, there is a need for standardized testing protocols, robust studies on potential resistance, and further exploration of synergistic PAA applications to ensure sustained poultry product safety and public health protection.

37 - INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL C↗
DOE OSTI2023

Evaluation of printability methodologies and feasibility to down select LBPF steel and other materials for nuclear applications

In this work, new research is underway to produce alloys beyond well-known alloys with modified compositions that are better suited to be produced with additive manufacturing. These alloys can only possess improved radiation tolerance but also improved high temperature strength, creep resistance while also using elements that reduce the amount of activation after irradiation. This work package supports the vision and goals of the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technology (AMMT) program relevant to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced manufacturing processes. This work focuses on evaluating the methodology for designing alloys best suited for AM processes based on “printability”, literature research to evaluate and down select steel alloy systems. In this work, microstructural characterization and testing activities have been performed on certain steel alloys to support the efforts from collaborating laboratories during the evaluation and printing of the test articles. The final recommendation will be performed by all four participating laboratories.

316L↗
DOE OSTI2025

Characterization of proton-induced damage in thick, p-channel skipper-CCDs

Here, in this work, we characterize the radiation-induced damage in two thick, p-channel skipper-CCDs irradiated unbiased and at room temperature with 217-MeV protons. We evaluate the overall performance of the sensors and demonstrate their single-electron/single-photon sensitivity after receiving a fluence on the order of 10 10 protons/cm 2 . Using the pocket-pumping technique, we quantify and characterize the proton-induced defects from displacement damage. We report an overall trap density of 0.134 traps/pixel for a displacement damage dose of 2.3 × 10 7 MeV/g. Three main proton-induced trap species were identified, V 2 , C i O i and V n O m , and their characteristic trap energies and cross sections were extracted. We found that while divacancies are the most common proton-induced defects, C i O i defects have a greater impact on charge integrity at typical operating temperatures because their emission-time constants are comparable or larger than typical readout times. To estimate ionization damage, we measure the characteristic output transistor curves. We found no threshold voltage shifts after irradiation. Our results highlight the potential of skipper-CCDs for applications requiring high-radiation tolerance and can be used to find the operating conditions in which effects of radiation-induced damage are mitigated.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2020

100 Gbps Radiation Tolerant Optical Transceiver (Final Technical Report)

The overall technical objective in phase I for the Surface Emitting Laser-Electro-Absorption Modulator (EAM) was to demonstrate feasibility of this approach by designing and building the laser-EAM chips, optimizing the fabrication process for the Laser/EAM in a series of 3 fabrication runs, irradiating Laser/EAM chips from each run and DC testing of the chips post radiation. 100 Gbps/channel testing would be done at the end of the phase II program before and after radiation. The overall technical objective for the driver circuit was to demonstrate the radiation tolerance of a circuit using the same technology as the driver, and to design the appropriate driver circuit.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Perspective on Quantum Computing Applications in Quantum Chemistry Using 25-100 Logical Qubits

The intersection of quantum computing and quantum chemistry represents a promising frontier for achieving quantum utility in domains of both scientific and societal relevance. Owing to the exponential growth of classical resource requirements for simulating quantum systems, quantum chemistry has long been recognized as a natural candidate for quantum computation. This perspective focuses on identifying scientifically meaningful use cases where early fault-tolerant quantum computers, which are considered to be equipped with approximately 25-100 logical qubits, could deliver tangible impact. While recent advances in classical computing have pushed the boundaries of tractable simulations to unprecedented scales, this logical-qubit regime represents the first window where quantum devices can pursue qualitatively distinct strategies, such as polynomial-scaling phase estimation, direct simulation of quantum dynamics, and active-space embedding, that remain challenging for classical solvers, such as multireference charge-transfer and conical-intersection states central to photochemistry and materials design. We highlight near-term opportunities in algorithm and software design, discuss representative chemical problems suited for quantum acceleration, and propose strategic roadmaps and collaborative pathways for advancing practical quantum utility in quantum chemistry.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Uncertain quantum computing futures and potential energy and physical resource impacts at scale

Considerable attention has recently focused on the vast energy and water demands of supercomputing, namely large-scale data centers that underpin artificial intelligence (AI), one of the great disruptors of contemporary society. Looking ahead some years from now, quantum computing is poised to disrupt established computing paradigms once again. Scientists and engineers are now working intensely to bring this century-old dream of physicists to fruition. Yet, as quantum computers begin to be integrated with classical supercomputing architectures, the implications for energy and physical resource use also need to be understood, especially how they compare to today’s AI data centers. These impacts have not yet been quantified by the research community – a notable gap in the literature, even if commercial-scale deployment of Quantum-Accelerated Computing Infrastructure (QuACI) is not expected for a few more years. This study is the first to conduct such an assessment. Using publicly available information from academic sources and private industry, we characterize multiple configurations of superconducting qubit-based, fault-tolerant quantum computers (FTQC) that could plausibly be deployed at scale in the 2030s and into the 2040s. By parameterizing these FTQC systems at a process level, we conduct a prospective scenario analysis to quantify their energy and physical resource needs. While these estimates are uncertain, given the current state of quantum technologies and their unknown future trajectories, important insights can already be drawn. One key finding is that while the electricity needs for a fleet of FTQCs are within the bounds of previous modeling studies that have explored high electricity demand futures, the needs for certain physical resources, namely water and helium-3, could pose bottlenecks to QuACI scale-up.

Computing↗
DOE OSTI2024

Selected advances in the accelerator design of the Future Circular Electron-Positron Collider (FCC-ee)

In autumn 2023, the FCC Feasibility Study underwent a crucial “mid-term review”. We describe some accelerator performance risks for the proposed future circular electron-positron collider, FCC-ee, identified for, and during, the mid-term review. For the collider rings, these are the collective effects when running on the Z resonance – especially resistive wall, beam-beam, and electron cloud –, the beam lifetime, dynamic aperture, alignment tolerances, and beam-based alignment. For the booster, the primary concern is the vacuum system, with regard to impedance and effects of the residual gas. For the injector, the layout and the linac repetition rate are primary considerations. We discuss the various issues and report the planned mitigations.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Engineering Thermally Resilient and Kinetically Active Reversible Protonic Ceramic Cells via Interfacial Design

Achieving concurrent fast electrode kinetics and long-term thermo-mechanical durability remains a critical challenge for reversible protonic ceramic electrochemical cells (R-PCECs). Herein, we report an interfacial engineering strategy that integrates a perovs.kite-type PrBaRu0.1Co1.9O5+δ (PBRC) nanoparticle layer onto a PrBa0.5Sr0.5Co1.5Fe0.5O5+δ (PBSCF) substrate (PBRC-PBSCF), together with a modified pellet-assisted sintering approach to fabricate dense BaZr0.4Ce0.4Y0.1Yb0.1O3-δ (BZCYYb4411) electrolytes. The in situ reconstructed heterointerface enhances oxygen reduction/evolution reaction (ORR/OER) kinetics, promotes H2O adsorption/dissociation, and improves steam tolerance, as verified by electrochemical measurements and interfacial microstructural analyses. Density functional theory reveals that Ru-induced electronic modulation at the PBRC-PBSCF interface lowers the energy of oxygen vacancy formation and optimizes the position of the O 2p band center, thereby accelerating oxygen redox kinetics and stabilizing the interface. The resulting R-PCECs deliver an excellent peak power density of 1.112 W cm−2 and an electrolysis current density of −1.257 A cm−2 at 1.3 V in 3% H2O wet air at 600°C, with a reasonable faradaic efficiency. Furthermore, the cells demonstrate excellent stability, sustaining 100 h of thermal cycling (400–600°C, 200°C h−1) in both fuel cell and electrolysis modes, with 600 h of stability in electrolysis mode (600°C, −0.5 to −2 A cm−2).

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗