SEARCH · Search NASA
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
The power production data from FY19 is provided for U.S. geothermal power plants. The spreadsheet includes the plant name and type, nameplate capacity, summer capacity, winter capacity, and net generation for each power plant.
The Pala Energy Options Project scope focused on assessing electric and thermal energy related options for the Pala Band of Mission Indians. Although the assessment also considered options for transportation fuels – including potential for electrification – and other energy uses, initial reviews with PED staff indicated that the most practical and substantial options likely would involve serving current building electric and thermal energy resources and uses. Assessment scope varies by specific options considered; some merited in-depth assessment for immediate action to initiate or advance implementation, while higher level assessments were more appropriate for options that would take longer to implement and would require updated in-depth assessments during project planning and design phases. The primary objectives of the Project were to 1) identify energy resources/loads, 2) assess energy needs and exports, 3) investigate and evaluate supply-side and demand side energy options, and 4) select and prioritize options in an implementation plan.
As part of CEF Round 1 funding, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was engaged by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Washington Department of Commerce to work with Puget Sound Energy (PSE), Avista, and Snohomish Public Utility District (SnoPUD) in evaluating the economic and technical performance of each of their battery energy storage systems (BESSs). This report presents the final results of the economic assessment.
This document describes the implementation of a solid waste form release model in GoldSim for the Hanford Site Composite Analysis (CA) Update. This Composite Analysis Solid Waste Release model (CASWR model) was designed to generate deterministic radionuclide release rates for Hanford’s Central Plateau solid waste disposal sites using single realizations of release model coefficients. Five generalized waste form types are used for the conceptual model of waste release: surplus reactor block, cement, soil-debris, grouted residual waste, and ancillary equipment. The surplus reactor block waste form consists of radionuclide leaching from surplus production graphite reactor core blocks via unspecified processes (White et al., 1984 as cited in PNNL-15965). The cement waste form represents solidified wastes whose permeability is much lower than that of the surrounding soil. The soil-debris waste form type is defined as unconsolidated waste mixed with soil material. Tanks and canyon complexes comprise the grouted residual waste form such that their solid waste will be grouted and capped with a surface barrier at the completion of their cleanup. Finally, the ancillary equipment waste form constitutes contaminant releases from ancillary and auxiliary waste form residues associated with tank farms at closure. Individual sub-models are implemented to numerically represent a respective waste form within the CASWR Model: Surplus Reactor Block Sub-model, Cement Sub-model, SoilDebris Sub-model, Grouted Residual Waste Sub-model, and Ancillary Equipment Submodel. Advection is assumed to be the primary transport process governing the release of radionuclides in the Ancillary Equipment and Soil-Debris Sub-models. Diffusion is assumed to be the primary release process in the Grouted Residual Waste and Cement Sub-models. An unspecified zero-order release process is considered in the Surplus Reactor Block Sub-model due to the lack of information regarding actual processes involved in irradiated graphite leaching. The Surplus Reactor Block, Cement, and SoilDebris Sub-models were compared against analytical solutions (PNNL-11800, Composite Analysis for Low-Level Waste Disposal in the 200 Area Plateau of the Hanford Site). The agreement between results of these analytical solutions and the corresponding waste form models verified their correct implementation in GoldSim. A 1-D modeling abstraction approach for the Grouted Residual Waste and Ancillary Equipment Sub-models was adopted from existing Performance Assessment (PA) models. Despite the simplifications made in these sub-models, they were found to be appropriate representations of the waste forms, similar to what was used in the Waste Management Area C PA model (RPP-ENV-58782, Performance Assessment of Waste Management Area C, Hanford Site, Washington, Rev. 0). A sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the most influential parameters in each waste form sub-model. Suggestions for considering pH-dependent and redox-dependent release mechanisms are formulated through the development of a conditional constant approach in GoldSim.
Abstract not provided.
The Hanford Site, in southeast Washington State, is preparing to disposition approximately 56,000,000 gallons (56 Mgal) of radioactive and chemically hazardous wastes currently stored in underground tanks at the site. Tank wastes will be divided into a high-activity fraction and a low-activity fraction for subsequent treatment and disposition. A waste processing and treatment facility, the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP), will include the high-level waste (HLW) vitrification facility (WTP HLW Vitrification Facility) for immobilizing the high-activity fraction and a low-activity waste (LAW) vitrification facility (WTP LAW Vitrification Facility) for immobilizing the low-activity fraction. Both facilities will use vitrification technology to immobilize the Hanford tank wastes in a glass waste form. The volume of LAW to be treated and disposed of following waste retrieval and WTP operations will exceed the planned processing capacity of the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility. ORP-11242,-River Protection Project System Plan, estimates a shortfall in LAW treatment capacity of approximately 56 Mgal, approximately 50% of the projected LAW volume. To maintain the planned tank waste processing mission schedule, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will require additional LAW treatment capacity (termed “supplemental LAW”) external to the WTP process. LAW must be solidified by a treatment technology before the waste can be permanently disposed of in an approved DOE on-site disposal facility or a commercial (state or U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission [NRC-licensed]) off-site mixed low-level waste disposal facility. A decision on the approach to supplemental LAW treatment, processing, and disposal has not yet been made
Stakeholder engagement is considered a critical component for successful deployment of Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS). Engagement builds awareness and understanding of the implications, both local and global, that deploying this technology entails. The CarbonSAFE Illinois – Macon County project presents unique challenges for engaging stakeholders as they have various and diverse options and perspectives that vary in influence and personal importance.
The Hanford Site, in southeast Washington State, is preparing to disposition approximately 56,000,000 gallons (56 Mgal) of radioactive and chemically hazardous wastes currently stored in underground tanks at the site. Tank wastes will be divided into a high-activity fraction and a low-activity fraction for subsequent treatment and disposition. A waste processing and treatment facility, the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP), will include the high-level waste (HLW) vitrification facility (WTP HLW Vitrification Facility) for immobilizing the high-activity fraction and a low-activity waste (LAW) vitrification facility (WTP LAW Vitrification Facility) for immobilizing the low-activity fraction. Both facilities will use vitrification technology to immobilize the Hanford tank wastes in a glass waste form.
The Hanford Site, in southeast Washington State, is preparing to disposition approximately 56,000,000 gallons (56 Mgal) of radioactive and chemically hazardous wastes currently stored in underground tanks at the site. Tank wastes will be divided into a high-activity fraction and a low-activity fraction for subsequent treatment and disposition. A waste processing and treatment facility, the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP), will include the high-level waste (HLW) vitrification facility (WTP HLW Vitrification Facility) for immobilizing the high-activity fraction and a low-activity waste (LAW) vitrification facility (WTP LAW Vitrification Facility) for immobilizing the low-activity fraction. Both facilities will use vitrification technology to immobilize the Hanford tank wastes in a glass waste form.
Residential photovoltaic (PV) costs have fallen consistently for over a decade (Ardani et al. 2018). DOE has subsequently developed a new residential PV cost target for 2030 of $0.05/kilowatt hour (SETO 2023). Ardani et al. (2018) conclude that integrated roofing and PV (RIPV) products may be key to achieving the residential target for both new construction and retrofit residential PV. In RIPV, the PV product is incorporated into or replaces the roofing material. RIPV systems can use conventional crystalline or thin-film technologies, may be aesthetically attractive alternatives to traditional racked and mounted PV systems, and may increase building property values (Cook et al. 2023). These products also have the potential to provide customer acquisition, labor, and equipment cost savings over traditional, racked and mounted residential rooftop PV and several companies have recently introduced integrated roofing and PV (RIPV) products (Cook et al. 2023). In 2022, Tesla was the market leader, representing 94% of RIPV capacity installed in 2022 through its Solar Roof offering, while GAF Energy and its Timberline Solar product was second capturing 3% (Feldman et al. 2023). In this project, NREL analyzed three research questions: (1) How do current RIPV products compare to racked and mounted PV in terms of costs, install times and processes? (2) How are RIPV products installed and are there opportunities for cost savings? (3) What are the key barriers to expanding market opportunities for integrating solar and roofing products? In this project, we explored residential RIPV cost reduction opportunities by analyzing installation processes. Our study documented residential RIPV installations at two reroofing sites (20.52 kilowatts) and the equivalent of nine new construction sites (71.75 kW) in California through a methodology known as time and motion study. We also conducted 15 interviews with subject-matter experts to identify barriers and solutions to maximize these products' market penetration.
The tidal resource gaps project was created to address a growing body of evidence that models underpredict tidal current speeds compared to measurements at a number of the top-ranking tidal energy sites. In response, this project compared opportunistic tidal power density measurements from 16 tidal energy hot spot sites with estimates from resource assessment data to identify discrepancies. To improve the accuracy of resource estimates from model data, updated data from eight improved model simulations were obtained. Model improvements included grid refinement, domain coupling, and the use of unstructured or nested grids. New resource estimates were calculated from the updated models, and these data were used to update the tidal hot spots-a list of promising tidal energy sites around the United States.
Surface tension affects all aspects of fluid flow in porous media. Through measurements of surface tension interaction under multiphase conditions, a relative permeability relationship can be determined. Relative permeability is a numerical description of the interplay between two or more fluids and the porous media they flow through. It is a critical parameter for various tools used to characterized subsurface multiphase flow systems, such as numerical simulation for oil and gas development, carbon sequestration, and groundwater contamination remediation. Therefore, it is critical to get a good statistic distribution of relative permeability in the porous media under study. Empirical relationships for determining relative permeability from capillary pressure are already well established but do not provide the needed flexibility required to match laboratory derive relative permeability relationships. By expanding the existing methods for calculating relative permeability from capillary pressure data, it is possible to create both two and three-phase relative permeability relationships. Existing laboratory-measured relative permeability data along with mercury intrusion capillary (MICP) data coupled with interfacial tension and contact angle measurements were used to determine the efficacy of this approach to relative permeability curve creation. The relative permeability relationships determined with this method were fit to existing laboratory data to elucidate common fitting parameters that were then used to create relative permeability relationships from MICP data that does not have an associated laboratory-measured relative permeability relationship.
Algorithms for Machine Learning (ML) and data analysis for the 3013 Surveillance Program have been developed in an ongoing collaborative effort by the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and the University of South Carolina (USC). The objective of the algorithms is to automate the identification of corrosion and crack formation in the Inner Container Closure Weld Region (ICCWR) of the canister system used to store Pu-bearing material. Data for corrosion and cracking is collected from large binary files generated by a Laser Confocal Microscope (LCM), the Wide Area 3D Measurement System (WAMS), and in a recent proposal, by a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The ML software uses the physical attributes in the data files (e.g., one or all of: height, color, and grayscale values as functions of position in a plane projection) to detect the presence of surface corrosion and cracking after being trained on similar data with the features to be detected labeled.
Algorithms for Machine Learning (ML) and image analysis for the 3013 Surveillance Program have been developed in an ongoing collaborative effort by the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and the University of South Carolina (USC). The objective of the algorithms is to automate the identification of corrosion and cracks in the Inner Container Closure Weld Region (ICCWR) of the canister system used to store Pu-bearing material. Data for corrosion and cracking is collected from large binary files generated by a Laser Confocal Microscope (LCM), the Wide Area 3D Measurement System (WAMS), or, in a recent proposal, by a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The ML software uses the physical attributes in the data files (e.g., one or more of: height, color, and 16-bit grayscale values as functions of position in a plane projection) to detect signs of surface corrosion and cracking after being trained on similar data with the features to be detected. Although the initial scope included screening for broader indicators of corrosion, e.g., pitting, the identification of potential cracks was prioritized for the past several years at the request of program leadership.
In this work the isotopic ratios and weight percentages of 238 Pu, 239 Pu, 240 Pu, 241 Pu and 242 Pu were determined using Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry. Two samples of C136A and C138A were sent to the Analytical Research laboratories by the National Nuclear Security Administration Nuclear Reference Material Program. The four samples were dissolved in concentrated hydrochloric acid. From the parent solutions, eight aliquots were taken, diluted, spiked with 244 Pu and submitted to separations. After the samples were separated, they were analyzed using Multicollector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Along with the samples, two C126A Quality Control Samples were analyzed each day. Mass bias standards were also analyzed at the beginning, during and at the end of the analysis. GUM Workbench Pro software Version 2.4.1.406 was used to calculate the isotopic ratios relative to 239 Pu, and total Pu mass and the correlated expanded uncertainties.
Current practice in Safety Analysis Report for Packaging (SARP) thermal analysis for hypothetical accident conditions (HAC) of packages is to not explicitly model the consequence to the foam impact limiting material, but instead to make conservative estimates of those consequences and begin calculations from that point. This approach is typically used for the foam regression distance, which is the thickness of the degraded foam layer after the 30-minute fire event. Estimates for regression distance can come directly from package burn test results or from correlations based on one-dimensional testing by the foam manufacturer. In either case, this is a subjective process, and although it can be used to produce a conservative result, it is a significant approximation in the analysis. This paper describes testing and refinement of a simplified foam regression model. Comparisons are made against available data from laboratory experiments. Model refinements were tested until satisfactory agreement was achieved. The final modeling approach was then compared with post-test inspection results from HAC burn test data. A new model with an effective thermal conductivity based on foam to char density variation was shown successful in representing laboratory-scale foam thermal degradation experiments and full-scale burn tests of a current package. This model offers a technically defensible and predictive approach for modeling thermal degradation of rigid polyurethane insulation in transport packages.
The purpose of this engineering calculations and analysis report (ECAR) is to present data collected in the Baseline Graphite Characterization Program, which is directly tasked with supporting the Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL’s) research and development efforts on the Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) Program. This program populates a comprehensive database that reflects the baseline properties of nuclear-grade graphite with regard to individual grade, billet, and position within individual billets. The physical- and mechanical-property information collected will be transferred to the Nuclear Data Management and Analysis System (NDMAS), and that database will help populate the handbook of property data available to member nations of the Generation-IV International Forum. Transfer of these data from the applicable technical lead to the dissemination databases available to other end users requires a full review of the test procedures and data-collection efforts through an analysis of the multiple summary spreadsheets and values being collected. This report represents the analysis for PCEA Billet 01D3-35 and facilitates release of associated data to the NDMAS custodians.
The purpose of this engineering calculations and analysis report (ECAR) is to present data collected in the Baseline Graphite Characterization Program, which is directly tasked with supporting the Idaho National Laboratory's (INL's) research and development efforts on the Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) Program. This program populates a comprehensive database that reflects the baseline properties of nuclear-grade graphite regarding individual grade, billet, and position within individual billets. The physical- and mechanical-property information being collected will be transferred to the Nuclear Data Management and Analysis System (NDMAS), and that database will help populate the handbook of property data available to member nations of the Generation-IV International Forum. Transfer of these data from the applicable technical lead to the dissemination databases available to other end users requires a full review of the test procedures and data-collection efforts through an analysis of the multiple summary spreadsheets and values being collected. This report represents the analysis for PCEA Billet 02S8-5 and facilitates release of associated data to the NDMAS custodians.