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DOE OSTI2024

Simplified inelastic constitutive models for ASME Section III, Division 5 design by inelastic analysis

This report describes the development of simplified, universal constitutive model that captures the high temperature monotonic and cyclic behavior of a range of commonly-used high temperature materials. The goal of the work is to provide a simple, universal constitutive model to replace the current bespoke models for Grade 91, 316H, and Alloy 617 included in Nonmandatory Appendix HBB-Z of the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code, and to extend this model to cover Alloy 800H. We initiated this work in response to feedback from reactor vendors and other Code users requesting simplified models, compared to the current models, that are easier to implement and use in commercial finite element analysis software. This report describes the completion of this effort by developing a model to correct the defects in standard model forms presently used for high temperature material modeling, described in past work, developing and implementing new numerical methods to train this model against test data, and then actually training the model for the four materials. The report provides a complete mathematical description of the model along with the tabulated material coefficients for the four materials. The final step will be to formulate an ASME Code change to introduce the new models into the Code.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Dipole Bend Magnets: Design Considerations

This analysis provides a design of a dipole bend magnet for a beamline, stepping through various considerations while assembling a design. This report can be used as a basis of a bending dipole magnet applicable to LANSCE, a scalable point design for other applications, or as a systematic process for developing a magnet design from scratch. The goal is more to answer, 'Is it reasonable?' than to address correction factors. In this specific case, the dipole should provide 3 kG within a 6.35-cm (2.5") gap across an area provided by 25×15-cm pole pieces. This provides roughly 17° and 21° deflection for proton at 3.0 and 2.1 MeV, respectively.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Research Highlight - Dispatch Optimization, System Design and Cost Benefit Analysis of a Nuclear Reactor with Molten Salt Thermal Storage

We highlight our work from our previous publication titled "Dispatch Optimization, System Design, and Cost Benefit Analysis of a Nuclear Reactor with Molten Salt Thermal Storage" published in MDPI Energies 2022 (doi.org/10.3390/en15103599). Variable renewable energy availability has increased the volatility in energy prices in most markets. Nuclear power plants, with a large ratio of capital to variable costs, have historically operated as base load energy suppliers but the need for more flexible operation is increasing. We simulate the techno-economic performance of a 950 MWt nuclear power plant, based on the Westinghouse lead-cooled fast reactor, coupled with molten salt thermal storage as a method for flexible energy dispatch. We use the System Advisor Model to model the nuclear reactor thermal power input and power cycle operating modes. We combine this robust engineering model with a mixed-integer linear program model for optimized dispatch scheduling. We then simulate the coupled nuclear and thermal storage system under different market scenarios with varying price volatility. We find that the coupled plant outperforms the base plant under markets where energy price peaks fluctuate by a factor of two or more about the mean price. We show that a calculated power purchase agreement price for the plant improves by up to 10% when operating under California energy market conditions. Sensitivity analysis on the thermal storage cost shows that the optimal design remains unchanged even when doubling costs.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2024

Interim Development of new Class B Code Case with Variable Design Lifetime and enhanced design rules to guard against cyclic structural failure mode

This report summarizes updates on the ongoing development of the new American Society of Mechanical Engineers Section III, Division 5, Class B rules to address the potential failure modes of Class B components. An initial design-by-analysis approach and supporting design rules are presented. The elastic-perfectly plastic (EPP) analysis approach has been adopted for primary stress limit and ratcheting check to prevent the component failure against the structural failure mode against primary load and strain accumulation due to cyclic loads. The creep-fatigue damage assessment uses explicitly defined elastic follow-up calculated from the stress concentration region of given component. Damage fraction calculation uses a novel coupled approach to capture the influence of the elastic follow-up and provide adequate conservatism for Class B components. The proposed Class B rules does not use the stress classification approach and uses the combined loads to assess component.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2024

A Contextually-Aware Sensitivity Analysis to Guide the Design of Randomized Least Squares Solvers in Applications

Our work on the DOE-sponsored project “A Contextually-Aware Sensitivity Analysis to Guide the Design of Randomized Least Squares Solvers in Applications,” was an effort to address critical challenges in nu merical computing and its applications to optimization. The increasing demand for robust and scalable solutions to large-scale linear algebra problems has highlighted the limitations of traditional approaches, particularly in heterogeneous and extreme-scale computing environments. Randomized Numerical Linear Algebra (RandNLA) offers a promising framework to address these challenges, and this proposal builds on this foundation by introducing innovations in sensitivity analysis and computational adaptability.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2025

A review of future weather data for assessing climate change impacts on buildings and energy systems

The effectiveness of climate change impact assessments and the development of adaptation strategies depend on the availability of high-quality future weather data. However, significant gaps exist between the needs of the energy research community and the focus of the climate modeling community, primarily due to a historical lack of communication and collaboration between the two groups. Here, to address this issue, this work provides a comprehensive overview of the critical aspects involved in creating future weather data for building and energy system modeling, including emissions scenarios, general circulation models, downscaling methods, categories of future weather data, and uncertainties in climate simulations. Moreover, it critically evaluates the applicability and suitability of various types of future weather data in five key application scenarios: energy use analysis, resilience analysis, HVAC design, utility-scale analysis, and renewable energy analysis. Finally, this work presents recommendations for high-level actions and research directions to foster collaboration between the energy research and climate modeling communities and to promote the integration of future weather data into energy codes and the design practices of buildings and energy systems.

Climate change↗

DOE OSTI2024

ECAR-6574 Rev 1 MARVEL Guard Vessel System FEA and ASME Analysis

This ECAR encompasses the design-by-equation requirements in ASME BPVC Section III Division 5 Subsection HCB, in addition to the service level and design-by-analysis requirements of Subsection HBB, as they apply to the Guard Vessel.

21 - SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLAN↗

DOE OSTI2025

High Flux Isotope Reactor Low-Enriched Uranium High Density Silicide Fuel Preliminary Design Update: System Transient Analysis

As a part of conversion efforts from highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel under direction of the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy, multiple proposed designs of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) have been created and assessed regarding reactor physics performance metrics, including designs utilizing uranium silicide dispersion fuel (U3Si2-Al). This report updates the previous analyses that evaluated the nuclear safety performance of LEU fuel designs with respect to selected accident events from the HFIR Safety Analysis Report (SAR). Both the Low Density (LD) and High Density (HD) Optimized designs’ reactivity initiated accident fuel performance improved relative to the HEU fuel, attributed to greater 238 U negative Doppler feedback. However, the thermal margins for primary coolant system accidents were reduced with some acceptance criteria unable to be met. The need to resolve reduced thermal margin, open modeling items, and unresolved assumptions was identified.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Uncertainty quantification in MELCOR Safety analysis of ARIES reactor designs

MELCOR-TMAP is a combined thermal-hydraulics and tritium tracking code developed to simulate severe accident scenarios in fission and fusion power plants. Here, we demonstrate the results of MELCOR-TMAP analyses on historical ARIES program reference designs. By coupling MELCOR-TMAP with the open source RAVEN probabilistic risk analysis framework’s Bayesian UQ capabilities, we also demonstrate key uncertainties in material properties with the highest impact on tritium inventory and plant risk.

70 - PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Development of an Improved RELAP5-3D Model for the High Temperature Test Facility

High-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) are rapidly approaching deployment. Confidence in transient analysis of these systems for design, optimization, and licensing calculations requires modeling and simulation tools that have been validated against data relevant to HTGR conditions. The High Temperature Test Facility (HTTF) is an integral effects thermal hydraulics test facility for prismatic HTGRs. In spring and summer of 2019, HTTF was used for a series of experiments that now serve as the basis for the OECD/NEA Thermal Hydraulic Code Validation Benchmark for High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors using HTTF Data (HTGR T/H Benchmark). This benchmark contains problems for systems code, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and coupled systems code/CFD modeling representing lower plenum mixing and both the depressurized and pressurized conduction cooldown (DCC and PCC respectively) transients. Benchmark problems include exercises for code-to-code and code-to-data comparisons as well as an exercise for error scaling between HTTF and the Modular High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor, which serves as the basis for the HTTF design. Previous analysis as part of the HTGR T/H benchmark used a RELAP5-3D model developed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and demonstrated an ability to reproduce trends in the measured data but difficulties reproducing experimental values within their uncertainty. These difficulties were largely attributed to assumptions made during the development of the initial RELAP5-3D model, which predated the HTTF experiments. A significant cause of difficulty reproducing the measured temperatures may be the radial nodalization of the previous RELAP5-3D model. The new model provides a finer nodalization to assess the impact of radial nodalization and allows for asymmetric heating within the core, which was a feature of multiple HTTF experiments. In this paper, we present the new RELAP5-3D model of HTTF. In addition to describing the new model, this paper compares the new and old models and provides results for a full-power steady state, a DCC, and a PCC in HTTF. These analyses are based on the code-to-code comparison exercises for the DCC and PCC problems of the HTGR T/H benchmark. We present the results of these exercises from the new model and compare them to the results of the old model.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Key Design Trades for a Near-term Lunar Fission Surface Power System

NASA and DOE have been developing concepts for lunar and Mars Fission Surface Power (FSP) systems for decades and have considered many different technologies and system variations. In 2023, three contractor teams completed Phase 1 conceptual design studies on a 40 kWe lunar FSP system in response to a modest set of NASA requirements and goals. A government team consisting of NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) was formed to develop an independent design approach that adhered to the same requirements and goals posed to the contractor teams. GRC provided expertise, analysis, and design decisions for the power conversion, heat rejection, power management & distribution (PMAD), and mission integration. LANL and INL provided expertise, analysis, and design decisions for the reactor and shielding. The goal of the government study was to develop representative concepts that could be used in NASA architecture studies, guide government technology investments, and inform Phase 2 requirements definition. This paper provides a summary of the key technology options, system-level trades, and mission-level concept-of-operations.

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2024

ECAR-7813 Rev 0 Secondary Coolant Cover Gas System Stirling Engine Tube Rupture Analysis, Insulation Block Analysis, and Labyrinth Seal Design

The purpose of this ECAR is to document compliance with best engineering practices for the Secondary Coolant Cover Gas System of the MARVEL microreactor which includes a Stirling Engine helium tube rupture analysis, an analysis to verify the strength of the insulation blocks, and the design of the Labyrinth Seal.

21 - SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLAN↗

DOE OSTI2025

New machine protection system at the Spallation Neutron Source – design process and performance analysis

A New Machine Protection System (MPS) at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) was developed and implemented on µTCA-based hardware platforms. The system monitors more than 2500 field inputs and shuts off the beam within 10 µs if adverse events occur. We will present system level design process of various firmware and software components as well as the system integration into EPICS environment. The performance analysis of the MPS after two SNS run cycles will also be presented.

Bobrek, Miljko [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000332763451)↗

DOE OSTI2026

An Online Tool for Preliminary Design and Techno-Economic Analysis of District Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems

District geothermal heating and cooling systems (DGHCS) have significant benefits for reducing energy consumption as well as building- and grid-level peak electric demand. Currently, no publicly available tools are available to effectively design and conduct techno-economic analysis of DGHCS. GeoWISE was originally developed for preliminary design and techno-economic analysis of geothermal heating and cooling systems in an individual commercial or residential building. This paper introduces recent upgrades of GeoWISE that allow users to design and conduct techno-economic analysis of DGHCS. Several new features are implemented in GeoWISE to allow selection and specification of multiple new or existing buildings. A database of information for over 125 million existing U.S. buildings was used in GeoWISE that allows users easily locate existing buildings of interest based on street addresses, and optionally edit information of the buildings (e.g., footprint, vintage, principal functions, number of floors, window-to-wall ratio). Unique energy simulation models of the selected buildings are then automatically created using the Automatic Building Energy Modeling (AutoBEM) and EnergyPlus simulations are performed to predict thermal loads of the buildings. A simplified DGHCS is then designed and simulated to predict its energy use. A central borehole heat exchanger (BHE) of the DGHCS is sized using the RowWise algorithm of GHEDesigner to meet the thermal loads within user-specified land areas for installing BHE. The upgraded GeoWISE reports the needed capacity of heating and cooling equipment in each building, design of the central BHE, energy consumption reduction, and energy cost saving resulting from using DGHCS compared with conventional HVAC systems. A case study is showcased using the upgraded GeoWISE to design and conduct techno-economic analysis of a simplified DGHCS.

Prem Anand Jayaprabha, Jyothis Anand [ORNL] (ORCID↗

DOE OSTI2024

Integration of Waveform Simulation Methods

The generation of synthetic seismograms through simulation is a fundamental tool of seismology required to run quantitative hypothesis tests. A variety of approaches have been developed throughout the seismological community and each has their own specific user interface based on their implementation. This causes a challenge to researchers who will need to learn new interfaces with each new software they wish to use and create substantial challenges when attempting to compare results from different tools. Here we provide a unified interface that facilitates interoperability amongst several simulation tools through a modern containerized Python package. Further, this package includes post-processing analysis modules designed to facilitate end-to-end analysis of synthetic seismograms. In this report we present the conceptual guidance and an example implementation of the new Waveform Simulation Framework.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Once-Through Steam Generator Model Analysis Using Python and Advanced Optimization Tools (Summer Internship Report)

This study focuses on the parametric analysis of design parameters for a once-through steam generator (OTSG) model, using python and advanced optimization tools to facilitate applications such as the flowing autoclave steam generator (FASG) test cases. Building on previous research involving another OTSG with a different design, this project aims to enhance our understanding of how steam generators (SGs) behave and how their outputs are influenced by changes in design. The reason for this design change is to allow for more precise modeling and optimization of SG performance, to provide a comparative analysis between the two designs, and to set up the model for integration with the FASG test case. The OTSG python-model is a mathematical representation (including fluid flow and heat transfer equations/models/correlations) of a steam-generating unit in a pressurized water reactor-type small modular reactor system. Design studies involve changing the model’s input design parameters to observe the resulting effects on the output of the system. By using advanced optimization tools, such as the Risk Analysis Virtual Environment (RAVEN) developed at Idaho National Laboratory, detailed design parametric studies and model optimization were performed. Six input parameters—pressure, temperature, and mass flow rate for the inlet of the primary-side (hot fluid) and secondary-side (cold fluid), respectively, of the SG—were randomly perturbed via RAVEN’s Monte Carlo Sampler module, using uniform distributions (i.e., ±1%, ±5% and ±10% relative changes) for 600 samples. The analysis provides valuable insights into SG optimization and can be used for sensor placement optimization to effectively monitor and obtain experimental data in other tests.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Process Design and Techno-Economic Analysis of the Modular Staged Pressurized Oxy-Combustion (SPOC) Power Plant for Biomass

This work describes the process design and techno-economic analysis (TEA) of the modular SPOC power plant for biomass firing and coal-biomass co-firing. Two Rankine cycles were considered: a supercritical steam cycle (242 bar, 593°C, 593°C) with 550 MWe net output and a subcritical cycle (166 bar, 566°C, 566°C) with 200 MWe net output. For both cases, 95% carbon capture was modeled, and hybrid poplar biomass was chosen to generate carbon-negative power. In addition, the supercritical 500 MWe case included a 25% biomass co-firing (carbon neutral) case. For both cycles, a 100% Powder River Basin coal firing case was used for comparison purposes. In the SPOC process, oxygen is produced via a cryogenic air separation unit (ASU) and the heat generated from the compression of air is integrated into the steam cycle and utilized for boiler feed water pre-heating. Unique to the SPOC process, the boilers are pressurized and arranged in a series-parallel configuration, with minimized flue gas recirculation. The flue gas is cooled and scrubbed in the direct-contact cooler (DCC) column, and the moisture in the flue gas is condensed, leaving the bottom of the DCC at a sufficiently high temperature such that it can be used for boiler feed water pre-heating, improving plant thermal efficiency. Following drying and purification, CO2 in the flue gas is at the purity required for storage or utilization. The performance data were obtained from process modelling via Aspen Plus®. The stream data from Aspen Plus® were used as an input for the AACE Class 5 cost study. Ultimately, the capital costs, Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE), and cost of CO2 captured and avoided were obtained. The HHV efficiency of the carbon negative 550 MWe supercritical SPOC case (34.8%) was clearly above those reported by NETL for the BECCS baseline cases of supercritical pulverized coal with capture (B12B, 31.5%) and the 49% biomass co-firing case with capture (PA3, 29.2%). The HHV efficiency of the carbon-negative subcritical plant is also higher than the subcritical baseline PC plant with capture (case B11B.95) presented by NETL (32% vs 29.7%). The LCOE for the SPOC 100% biomass case was similar to the LCOE for the BECCS 49% biomass with carbon capture case ($147/MWh), and the SPOC carbon neutral case LCOE was lower ($110/MWh) than the cost for the NETL baseline SC coal firing case with 90% carbon capture ($114/MWh).

Magalhaes, Duarte↗

DOE OSTI2024

Development of integrated neutronics and thermal analysis capabilities to support design and optimization of fusion engineering demonstration facility systems and blanket design (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

A fusion engineering demonstration facility would be the first step in the commercial fusion plant developmental pathway that aims to be an engineering demonstration of tritium self-sufficiency. One of the primary requirements for tritium self-sufficiency, as well as to ensure low plant tritium release to the external environment, is to minimize the tritium loss through the internal components, which requires accurate predictions of the tritium behavior for a wide range of materials and system conditions. This grant addressed the lack of a comprehensive model which accounts for particular conditions, such as the significance of temperature fields and neutronics information, and the systematic uncertainty quantification of associated material properties that impact tritium generation, utilization, and loss mechanisms in the blanket.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗