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DOE OSTI2022

Fuel Fabrication Capability Assessment in Support of Advanced Reactor Deployments

More than 30 U.S. companies are designing a variety of advanced reactor concepts, and several companies are planning to demonstrate their reactor designs in the mid-2020s to late 2030s time frame. In 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a series of awards under the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) to accelerate the successful deployment of 10 of these reactors under three pathways. TerraPower and X-energy were awarded grants under the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program to deploy their respective Natrium reactor and Xe-100 reactor designs in the next 7–10 years. These demonstrations are in addition to several parallel programs, including the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) interest in the development of microreactors, and interest of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in space nuclear power and propulsion. The National Reactor Innovation Center’s (NRIC’s) mission is to accelerate the demonstration and deployment of advanced reactors; NRIC is partnering with several reactor developers and harnessing the world-class capabilities of the U.S. National Laboratory system to deliver on its mission. Several of these reactor designs will require advanced fuel forms that are not commercially available today, including metal fuel, molten salt fuel, TRi-structural ISOtropic (TRISO) particle fuel, and uranium nitride fuel. Recognizing that there may be potential gaps in the laboratory-scale process development and pilot-scale first-of-a-kind (FOAK) production of these fuel forms leading to delivery of the FOAK cores, NRIC commissioned this study to look at the challenges that need to be overcome for successful deliveries, including the evaluation of existing facilities and the potential need for a new fuel fabrication facility.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Southern Hemisphere Polar Infrared Radiation Experiment (SHIRE) Field Campaign Report

An extended-range atmospheric emitted radiance interferometer (AERI) instrument to be deployed to Scott Base (78 S, 166 E) in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica for the purpose of synergizing with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) satellite mission (https://prefire.ssec.wisc.edu/), examining the closure of atmospheric thermal emission, and providing validation for PREFIRE. The PREFIRE mission is the first satellite mission to map Earth’s spectrally resolved thermal emission, from 5 to 50 microns, over seasonal to annual timescales. These new observations represent the beginning of an intensive examination of the nature of thermal emission from Earth (emission from both the surface and atmosphere). A primary requirement of the PREFIRE mission is to provide validation of the retrieved variables. Numerous field sites in the Arctic (such as the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) North Slope of Alaska observatory and Summit Station, Greenland) have existing instrumentation to facilitate validation, leaving an observational gap in Antarctica. Through SHIRE, we propose to establish a temporary, intensive measurement site in Antarctica to ensure that both poles are suitably represented, and benefit from this state-of-the art science. This will also allow Arctic and Antarctic atmospheric radiative states to be compared and contrasted. For SHIRE specifically, we also propose further objectives to examine the spectrally resolved thermal radiative closure of the polar atmosphere and the historical changes in Antarctic radiative forcing, using previous Antarctic field campaigns, such as the ARM West Antarctic Radiation Experiment (AWARE).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Data Compilation and Analysis from the Sirius-1 Experiment at TREAT for Transient Simulation Validation

This report assembles comprehensive data from the Sirius-1 experiment conducted by Idaho National Laboratory in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The primary goal is to provide a robust data set that external users can utilize for the validation of computational methods for transient multiphysics simulations. By compiling all relevant data, including experiment design calculations, detailed engineering drawings for the experiment and data from reactor and fuel specimen measurement, this report is intended to serves as a reference for researchers and engineers working on the development and validation of computational models for transient nuclear behavior.

21 - SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLAN↗

DOE OSTI2026

ARM Radiosondes for SNPP/JPSS Validation Field Campaign Report

This field campaign extension has been a coordinated effort involving the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) project to validate NOAA Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) temperature and moisture sounding products from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) instruments on board the NOAA-20 and NOAA-21 satellite platforms. In this arrangement, funding for radiosondes and balloons was provided by the JPSS project to ARM. These radiosondes were launched coincident with NOAA-20 and NOAA-21 satellite overpasses at the ARM field sites at Eastern North Atlantic (ENA), North Slope Alaska (NSA), and Southern Great Plains (SGP). Combined with other ARM data, an assessment of the radiosonde data quality was performed and post-processing corrections applied. The dedicated radiosondes were integrated into the NOAA Products Validation System (NPROVS+), which collocated the radiosondes with satellite products (NOAA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites [EUMETSAT], Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite [GOES], Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate [COSMIC]) and numerical weather prediction (NWP) forecasts for use in product assessment and algorithm development. This work is a part of the NOAA-20 and NOAA-21 satellite retrieval validation efforts and provides critical accuracy assessments of the temperature and water vapor soundings.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2026

An Overview of Potential Future Aviation Energy Carriers

Global jet fuel demand is projected to grow to 165 billion gallons by 2050 and there is growing interest in the aviation industry to understand the capabilities of alternative energy carriers. This report considers several potential energy carriers, reviewing their production potential, operational considerations, and economic implications to inform potential next steps in aeronautics research. The following energy carriers (i.e., fuels) were evaluated in this study for future use in aviation: sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) - both biomass-based and power-to-liquids (PtL) - based SAF - cryogenic hydrogen (LH 2 ) - also known as liquid hydrogen - liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied ethane (LE), and Jet X. The barriers and opportunities for the evaluated energy carriers vary. SAF is a commercially available drop-in fuel compatible with existing aircraft and infrastructure. SAF is limited by both higher prices and slow commercialization of multiple pathways using different feedstocks necessary to significantly grow supply. Cryogenic fuels, in contrast, have very different thermal, physical, and chemical properties than SAF and Jet A, requiring the construction of new airport storage and dispensing infrastructure and the design of new aircraft energy systems capable of mitigating heat transfer and boil-off. Cryogenic fuels offer an opportunity to diversify aviation fuel carriers from domestic energy relevant for both energy security and resilience. This means cryogenic fuels are more of a longer-term solution for aircraft but are worth exploring for potential future cost savings and emissions benefits. Jet X refers to non-drop-in liquid hydrocarbon fuels in the early stages of investigation seeking favorable properties. There are substantial barriers to non-drop-in liquid aviation fuels that are not compatible with existing aircraft and fuel infrastructure.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Real-Time, Simultaneous Soil Water Content and Meteorological Data Measurement to Support TRACER over Harris County, Texas Field Campaign Report: Part II

The main purpose of this project was to provide ground-truth and satellite-based soil water content data in the Houston, Texas, area to support the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s 2022 field campaign, the Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER). This involved installing four soil monitoring stations at different locations in the Houston area, two of which were part of the ARM facility and two were ancillary. The two stations associated directly with ARM were installed alongside other facilities managed and maintained by the TRACER research team during the intensive operational period (IOP), one located at the La Porte, Texas airport and the other located near Guy, Texas. Data from these stations were assimilated with similar data collected by the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) to improve the spatial coverage of the real-time monitoring network. The ground-truth data were compared to the satellite-based (National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA]’s Soil Moisture Active Passive [SMAP] mission) data in the TRACER area of interest, and analyzed further to nowcast gridded data over the Houston area. The nowcasted, gridded data product was made available to TRACER researchers for use in climate and land-atmosphere interaction modeling that can help understand formation and persistence of convective storms in dense urban areas, and predict possible environmental events such as floods.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2023

Beryllium Isotopes in Rainfall for Stratospheric-Tropospheric Exchange Dynamics Experiment (BIRDIE) (Field Campaign Report)

The Beryllium Isotopes in Rainfall for Stratospheric-Tropospheric Exchange Dynamics Experiment or BIRDIE was a precipitation collection campaign designed to measure cosmogenic isotopes of beryllium in rainfall and other forms of precipitation across the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s Southern Great Plains (SGP) atmospheric observatory. Precipitation samples were collected over three weeks (May 21-June 10, 2022) at 11 SGP sites across a 120-km 2 domain in northern and central Oklahoma. The field campaign targeted summertime convection rain events. We aimed to capture any spatial and/or temporal variability in the concentrations of beryllium-10 (10Be) and beryllium-7 (7Be) across the ARM SGP site during these rainfall events. The ratio of 10Be to 7Be (10/7Be) has been shown to be a powerful tracer for transport processes in the stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE) system (e.g., Koch and Rind 1998). Any observed variability is analyzed to see if it could be linked to STE processes, including overshooting of deep convection clouds that penetrate the lower stratosphere. Six wet weather system events were collected within our three-week span. Five out of six of these rainfall events are classified as moderately to strongly convective. Those events are studied in more detail. The five systems also follow each other over a short period of 11 days. In our rainfall samples we observed spatial and event variability in the concentrations of beryllium-10 and -7 that resulted in variability of 10/7Be ratios. Each weather event appeared to exhibit a unique 10/7Be pattern across the domain that was not directly linked to storm total precipitation amount. To better understand the causes for this spatial variability, cloud characteristics in the domain were looked at to assess cloud type, cloud height, and depth information. We also ran Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model back trajectories to identify possible air mass and moisture origins across our events. Detailed analysis is ongoing. The purpose of this technical report is to provide background on using cosmogenic isotopes as atmospheric tracers, describe the experimental design, and present the beryllium concentration and ratio data. Lastly, we note that BIRDIE coincided with two other deep convection field campaigns in the area: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Dynamics and Chemistry of the Summer Stratosphere (DCOTSS) experiment (https://dcotss.org/) centered in Salina, Kansas, and the Targeted Observation by Radars and (uncrewed aerial systems) UAS of Supercells (TORUS) experiment (https://catalog.eol.ucar.edu/torus_2022) across the U.S. Central Plains. Additionally, a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ( LLNL) team at DCOTSS attempted to measure 10Be/7Be ratios on aerosols collected in situ in the lower and mid-stratosphere over Kansas using high-altitude balloons. Precipitation samples were also collected on the ground in Salina, Kansas.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

Grand Challenges of Hydrologic Modeling for Food-Energy-Water Nexus Security in High Mountain Asia

Climate-influenced changes in hydrology affect water-food-energy security that may impact up to two billion people downstream of the High Mountain Asia (HMA) region. Changes in water supply affect energy, industry, transportation, and ecosystems (agriculture, fisheries) and as a result, also affect the region's social, environmental, and economic fabrics. Sustaining the highly interconnected food-energy-water nexus (FEWN) will be a fundamental and increasing challenge under a changing climate regime. High variability in topography and distribution of glaciated and snow-covered areas in the HMA region, and scarcity of high resolution (in-situ) data make it difficult to model and project climate change impacts on individual watersheds. We lack basic understanding of the spatial and temporal variations in climate, surface impurities in snow and ice such as black carbon and dust that alter surface albedo, and glacier mass balance and dynamics. These knowledge gaps create challenges in predicting where and when the impact of changes in river flow will be the most significant economically and ecologically. In response to these challenges, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) established the High Mountain Asia Team (HiMAT) in 2016 to conduct research to address knowledge gaps. This paper summarizes some of the advances HiMAT made over the past 5 years, highlights the scientific challenges in improving our understanding of the hydrology of the HMA region, and introduces an integrated assessment framework to assess the impacts of climate changes on the FEWN for the HMA region. The framework, developed under a NASA HMA project, links climate models, hydrology, hydropower, fish biology, and economic analysis. The framework could be applied to develop scientific understanding of spatio-temporal variability in water availability and the resultant downstream impacts on the FEWN to support water resource management under a changing climate regime.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

Description and Genome Characterization of Three Novel Fungal Strains Isolated from Mars 2020 Mission-Associated Spacecraft Assembly Facility Surfaces—Recommendations for Two New Genera and One Species

National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) spacecraft assembly facilities are monitored for the presence of any bacteria or fungi that might conceivably survive a transfer to an extraterrestrial environment. Fungi present a broad and diverse range of phenotypic and functional traits to adapt to extreme conditions, hence the detection of fungi and subsequent eradication of them are needed to prevent forward contamination for future NASA missions. During the construction and assembly for the Mars 2020 mission, three fungal strains with unique morphological and phylogenetic properties were isolated from spacecraft assembly facilities. The reconstruction of phylogenetic trees based on several gene loci (ITS, LSU, SSU, RPB, TUB, TEF1) using multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) analyses supported the hypothesis that these were novel species. Here we report the genus or species-level classification of these three novel strains via a polyphasic approach using phylogenetic analysis, colony and cell morphology, and comparative analysis of WGS. The strain FJI-L9-BK-P1 isolated from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Spacecraft Assembly Facility (JPL-SAF) exhibited a putative phylogenetic relationship with the strain Aaosphaeria arxii CBS175.79 but showed distinct morphology and microscopic features. Another JPL-SAF strain, FJII-L3-CM-DR1, was phylogenetically distinct from members of the family Trichomeriaceae and exhibited morphologically different features from the genera Lithohypha and Strelitziana. The strain FKI-L1-BK-DR1 isolated from the Kennedy Space Center facility was identified as a member of Dothideomycetes incertae sedis and is closely related to the family Kirschsteiniotheliaceae according to a phylogenetic analysis. The polyphasic taxonomic approach supported the recommendation for establishing two novel genera and one novel species. The names Aaosphaeria pasadenensis (FJI-L9-BK-P1 = NRRL 64424 = DSM 114621), Pasadenomyces melaninifex (FJII-L3-CM-DR1 = NRRL 64433 = DSM 114623), and Floridaphiala radiotolerans (FKI-L1-BK-DR1 = NRRL 64434 = DSM 114624) are proposed as type species. Furthermore, resistance to ultraviolet-C and presence of specific biosynthetic gene cluster(s) coding for metabolically active compounds are unique to these strains.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2020

Wildfire Smoke Particle Properties and Evolution, from Space-Based Multi-Angle Imaging

Emitted smoke composition is determined by properties of the biomass burning source and ambient ecosystem. However, conditions that mediate the partitioning of black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) formation, as well as the spatial and temporal factors that drive particle evolution, are not understood adequately for many climate and air-quality related modeling applications. In situ observations provide considerable detail about aerosol microphysical and chemical properties, although sampling is extremely limited. Satellites offer the frequent global coverage that would allow for statistical characterization of emitted and evolved smoke, but generally lack microphysical detail. However, once properly validated, data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Observing System’s Multi-Angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) instrument can create at least a partial picture of smoke particle properties and plume evolution. We use in situ data from the Department of Energy’s Biomass Burning Observation Project (BBOP) field campaign to assess the strengths and limitations of smoke particle retrieval results from the MISR Research Aerosol (RA) retrieval algorithm. We then use MISR to characterize wildfire smoke particle properties and to identify the relevant aging factors in several cases, to the extent possible. The RA successfully maps qualitative changes in effective particle size, light absorption, and its spectral dependence, when compared to in situ observations. By observing the entire plume uniformly, the satellite data can be interpreted in terms of smoke plume evolution, including size-selective deposition, new-particle formation, and locations within the plume where BC or BrC dominates.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

Comparing Coarse-Resolution Land Surface Temperature Products over Western Australia

Satellite-derived land surface temperature (LST) has commonly been used to monitor global temperature changes. The MODIS MYD11A2 product is the most common coarse-resolution product used for this purpose. An updated MODIS product (MYD21A2) and new VIIRS (VNP21A2) product have also recently become available. This study analyses eight-day, quality-controlled, LST imagery over Western Australia (WA) for the three products for an urban and a non-urban area for the years 2013, 2016, and 2019. An analysis of the data indicates that (i) the averaged daytime LST difference between the three products for Perth city over the three years was 1.32 °C, while at night it was 0.89 °C; (ii) the averaged daytime difference over the Kimberley region was 7.02 °C with a night average difference of 2.39 °C; and (iii) both the MYD21A2 and VNP21A2 products still appear to record anomalous monthly LST values, particularly in the humid Kimberley monsoonal months. The overall objective of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is to ensure that the LST values of the two satellite system products are comparable, so evidence of LST value differences will require further investigation, especially if the older product is to be replaced by the newer systems.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2024

Satellite-Based Assessment of Rocket Launch and Coastal Change Impacts on Cape Canaveral Barrier Island, Florida, USA

The Cape Canaveral Barrier Island, home to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Kennedy Space Center and the United States (U.S.) Space Force’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is situated in a unique ecological transition zone that supports diverse wildlife. This study evaluates the recent changes in vegetation cover (2016–2023) and dune elevation (2007–2017) within the Cape Canaveral Barrier Island using high-resolution optical satellite and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. The study period was chosen to depict the time period of a recent increase in rocket launches. The study objectives include assessing changes in vegetation communities, identifying detectable impacts of liquid propellant launches on nearby vegetation, and evaluating dune elevation and tide level shifts near launchpads. The results indicate vegetation cover changes, including mangrove expansion in wetland areas and the conversion of coastal strands to denser scrubs and hardwood forests, which were likely influenced by mild winters and fire management. While detectable impacts of rocket launches on nearby vegetation were observed, they were less severe than those caused by solid rocket motors. Compounding challenges, such as rising tide levels, beach erosion, and wetland loss, potentially threaten the resilience of launch operations and the surrounding habitats. The volume and scale of launches continue to increase, and a balance between space exploration and ecological conservation is required in this biodiverse region. This study focuses on the assessment of barrier islands’ shorelines.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Long-Term Science Goals with In Situ Observations at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L4

The Korean heliospheric community, led by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), is currently assessing the viability of deploying a spacecraft at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L4 in collaboration with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The aim of this mission is to utilize a combination of remote sensing and in situ instruments for comprehensive observations, complementing the capabilities of the L1 and L5 observatories. The paper outlines long-term scientific objectives, underscoring the significance of multi-point in-situ observations to better understand critical heliospheric phenomena. These include coronal mass ejections, magnetic flux ropes, heliospheric current sheets, kinetic waves and instabilities, suprathermal electrons and solar energetic particle events, as well as remote detection of solar radiation phenomena. Furthermore, the mission’s significance in advancing space weather prediction and space radiation exposure assessment models through the integration of L4 observations is discussed. This article is concluded with an emphasis on the potential of L4 observations to propel advancements in heliospheric science.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Magnetics Testing on Radioisotope Power Systems at the Idaho National Laboratory

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) uses Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) to power deep-space and planetary explorations such as Cassini-Huygens, Galileo, New Horizons, Mars Science Laboratory—Curiosity, and most recently Mars 2020--Perseverance. The Space Nuclear Power and Isotope Technologies (SNPIT) division, at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), fuels, tests, and delivers the RPS to ensure it can provide the electrical power needed to complete mission objectives. Some space crafts have instrumentation specifically designed to study the subject’s magnetic field or may have instruments that can be affected by magnetic fields produced by the RPS. Analyzing and measuring the RPS’s magnetic fields ensures the required thresholds are not exceeded and accurate data can be collected for the mission. Magnetics testing provides numerical values of the RPS’s magnetic field. During Magnetics testing at INL, the RPS is placed on a resistive load to simulate actual spacecraft load characteristics (voltage and current). During this simulation, magnetometers are used to measure the magnetic field of the RPS. Raw data is collected and then analyzed to ensure the field created by the RPS is below NASA thresholds or that the magnitude of the field is accounted for to ensure mission success.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2021

MULTI-MISSION THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR ASSEMBLY TESTING AND LAUNCH OPERATIONS FOR MARS 2020

The Space Nuclear Power and Isotope Technologies (SNPIT) division at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) fuels, performs acceptance testing, and provides spacecraft integration support of Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) in support of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) missions. Recently the SNPIT team completed assembly, testing and launch support of the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) for the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover mission.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

MULTI-MISSION THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR ASSEMBLY TESTING AND LAUNCH OPERATIONS FOR MARS 2020

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

Modelling Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Reactor Startup Transients

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has set the goal of a manned mission to Mars by the year 2030 [1] and charged the national academy of sci- ences "to identify primary technical and programmatic chal- lenges, merits, and risks for maturing space nuclear propulsion technologies of interest to a future human Mars exploration mission" [2]. One relevant technology, nuclear thermal propul- sion (NTP), has notable advantages over traditional chemical rockets; most important among them is the ability to produce larger specific impulse on the order of 900s. The reduction of mission time is crucial for a manned mission to Mars to reduce the risk for the crew. Due to its higher specific impulse, NTP satisfies this need and is pursued as one technology to get humans to Mars [3, 4]. The construction of an NTP sys- tem has to negotiate several challenges laid out in Ref. [2]; one of these challenges is the need to startup the NTP sys- tem from essentially cold conditions to full power within one minute. This paper focuses on studying the neutronics and thermal-hydraulics behavior of a simplified NTP model dur- ing prescribed reactivity insertions and mass flow rate (MFR) ramps. It is the goal of this paper to investigate startup, peak material temperatures, and average specific impulse for a low enriched Uranium (LEU), ceramic and metal material (CER- MET) NTP system when varying reactivity insertion and MFR ramps.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

DOE OSTI2023

BRR Cask Use for Pu-238 Isotope Production

The Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with its national laboratories and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is responsible to produce Pu-238 isotope in the United States for use in space exploration. Major activities in the DOE complex are focused at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). INL is responsible for storing Np-237 feedstock, irradiation qualification in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), and irradiating targets containing Np-237 to produce Pu-238. ORNL is responsible for target design, target fabrication, irradiation qualification in HFIR, and processing of targets to extract Pu-238 heat source material. A key part of the program lifecycle is moving irradiated targets from INL to ORNL. The BEA Research Reactor (BRR) cask was identified as a potential shipping cask for the transport of both unirradiated and irradiated targets between the project sites. This paper will discuss the production at INL and shipment of Pu-238 to ORNL using the BRR cask.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗