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DOE OSTI2016

Long-lived pressure-driven coherent structures in KSTAR plasmas

Highly coherent structures associated with an extremely long-lived saturated magnetohydrodynamic instability have been observed in KSTAR tokamak under a long-pulse and steady-state operation. They persist essentially unchanged for the full duration of a discharge up to 40 s, much longer than any dynamical or dissipative time scales in the system. Analysis of the data, supported by numerical simulations, indicates that they may be associated with a pressure-driven mode causing some degradation in the toroidal rotation, electron, and ion energy confinement.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

NASA NTRS1975

Systems identification and application systems development for monitoring the physiological and health status of crewmen in space

The use of automated, analytical techniques to aid medical support teams is suggested. Recommendations are presented for characterizing crew health in terms of: (1) wholebody function including physiological, psychological and performance factors; (2) a combination of critical performance indexes which consist of multiple factors of measurable parameters; (3) specific responses to low noise level stress tests; and (4) probabilities of future performance based on present and periodic examination of past performance. A concept is proposed for a computerized real time biomedical monitoring and health care system that would have the capability to integrate monitored data, detect off-nominal conditions based on current knowledge of spaceflight responses, predict future health status, and assist in diagnosis and alternative therapies. Mathematical models could play an important role in this approach, especially when operating in a real time mode. Recommendations are presented to update the present health monitoring systems in terms of recent advances in computer technology and biomedical monitoring systems.

Leonard, J. I.↗

DOE OSTI2017

Ontology to guide scenario design to evaluate new technologies for control room modernization - 127

Modernization of nuclear power plants (NPPs) are introducing new human-system interface (HSI) technology that may have unanticipated impact on control room operations. Introduction of HSI thus requires careful evaluation and integrated system validation involving human-in-the-loop experiments with high-fidelity simulation and realistic scenarios. To support the technology evaluation in modernization of NPPs, this paper reports our research on constructing an 'scenario development ontology' for the nuclear industry. We conducted a literature review to produce a preliminary flow chart of the scenario development process and verified the flow chart through interviews with ten domain professionals. The interviews confirmed the key steps in the process flow chart and provided a compendium of approximately 100 scenario attributes, which were divided according to their relevance to HSI evaluation. The next step will be to conduct additional interviews to expand and generalize the ontology that can facilitate vendor and industry evaluation of current and future control room modernization projects. This ontology is particularly intended to facilitate vendor and industry evaluation of current and future control room modernization projects. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

NASA NTRS1993

A high-fidelity, six-degree-of-freedom batch simulation environment for tactical guidance research and evaluation

A batch air combat simulation environment, the tactical maneuvering simulator (TMS), is presented. The TMS is a tool for developing and evaluating tactical maneuvering logics, but it can also be used to evaluate the tactical implications of perturbations to aircraft performance or supporting systems. The TMS can simulate air combat between any number of engagement participants, with practical limits imposed by computer memory and processing power. Aircraft are modeled using equations of motion, control laws, aerodynamics, and propulsive characteristics equivalent to those used in high-fidelity piloted simulations. Data bases representative of a modern high-performance aircraft with and without thrust-vectoring capability are included. To simplify the task of developing and implementing maneuvering logics in the TMS, an outer-loop control system, the tactical autopilot (TA), is implemented in the aircraft simulation model. The TA converts guidance commands by computerized maneuvering logics from desired angle of attack and wind-axis bank-angle inputs to the inner loop control augmentation system of the aircraft. The capabilities and operation of the TMS and the TA are described.

Goodrich, Kenneth H.↗

DOE OSTI2015

Sorption Modeling and Verification for Off-Gas Treatment

The project has made progress toward developing a comprehensive modeling capability for the capture of target species in off gas evolved during the reprocessing of nuclear fuel. The effort has integrated experimentation, model development, and computer code development for adsorption and absorption processes. For adsorption, a modeling library has been initiated to include (a) equilibrium models for uptake of off-gas components by adsorbents, (b) mass transfer models to describe mass transfer to a particle, diffusion through the pores of the particle and adsorption on the active sites of the particle, and (c) interconnection of these models to fixed bed adsorption modeling which includes advection through the bed. For single-component equilibria, a Generalized Statistical Thermodynamic Adsorption (GSTA) code was developed to represent experimental data from a broad range of isotherm types; this is equivalent to a Langmuir isotherm in the two-parameter case, and was demonstrated for Kr on INL-engineered sorbent HZ PAN, water sorption on molecular sieve A sorbent material (MS3A), and Kr and Xe capture on metal-organic framework (MOF) materials. The GSTA isotherm was extended to multicomponent systems through application of a modified spreading pressure surface activity model and generalized predictive adsorbed solution theory; the result is the capability to estimate multicomponent adsorption equilibria from single-component isotherms. This advance, which enhances the capability to simulate systems related to off-gas treatment, has been demonstrated for a range of real-gas systems in the literature and is ready for testing with data currently being collected for multicomponent systems of interest, including iodine and water on MS3A. A diffusion kinetic model for sorbent pellets involving pore and surface diffusion as well as external mass transfer has been established, and a methodology was developed for determining unknown diffusivity parameters from transient uptake data. Two parallel approaches have been explored for integrating the kernels described above into a mass-transport model for adsorption in fixed beds. In one, the GSTA isotherm kernel has been incorporated into the MOOSE framework; in the other approach, a focused finite-difference framework and PDE kernels have been developed. Issues, including oscillatory behavior in MOOSE solutions to advection-diffusion problems, and opportunities have been identified for each approach, and a path forward has been identified toward developing a stronger modeling platform. Experimental systems were established for collection of microscopic kinetics and equilibria data for single and multicomponent uptake of gaseous species on solid sorbents. The systems, which can operate at ambient temperature to 250°C and dew points from -69 to 17°C, are useful for collecting data needed for modeling performance of sorbents of interest. Experiments were conducted to determine applicable models and parameters for isotherms and mass transfer for water and/or iodine adsorption on MS3A. Validation experiments were also conducted for water adsorption on fixed beds of MS3A. For absorption, work involved modeling with supportive experimentation. A dynamic model was developed to simulate CO 2 absorption with chemical reaction using high alkaline content water solutions. A computer code was developed to implement the model based upon transient mass and energy balances. Experiments were conducted in a laboratory-scale column to determine model parameters. The influence of geometric parameters and operating variables on CO 2 absorption was studied over a wide range of conditions. This project has resulted in 7 publications, with 3 manuscripts in preparation. Also, 15 presentations were given at national meetings of ANS and AIChE and at Material Recovery and Waste Forms Campaign Working Group meetings.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Computationally Aided Design of a Small-Scale Waste-Glass Melter - 20452

To provide mission support to the WTP for the vitrification of legacy nuclear tank waste at the Hanford site, a reduced-scale vitrification pilot system is being designed to process simulated and actual radioactive tank wastes. The waste stored in underground tanks will be separated into HLW and LAW fractions, where the majority is LAW by mass (approximately 90%) and HLW by activity (greater than 95%). The first tank waste to be processed at the WTP will be LAW. Because Hanford tank waste and the resultant melter feed compositions are known to vary widely, pilot-scale operations are essential to identify potential problems, provide needed data, confirm assumptions, and determine impacts to full-scale melters and off-gas systems from these different feeds. In addition, the reduced-scale melter system must be capable of quickly providing results to operations without the typically high cost of full-scale radioactive operations and to provide an engineering platform in close proximity to local operations staff. The objectives of this computational modeling effort are to produce process conditions like those encountered in the WTP LAW melters and to minimize the volume of radioactive waste necessary for the evaluations. To this end, melter design features are being explored to increase production without significantly increasing surface area or melter-glass volumes or compromising data quality. In support of these objectives, a set of computational fluid dynamic models was developed to provide insight into the flow patterns within these small melters and evaluate design features to increase production without significantly increasing glass inventory. Computed velocities were evaluated at the interface between the cold cap and the molten-glass pool and within the bulk-glass pool. Since melt rate correlates with the velocity underneath the cold cap, this information can be used to select design features that produce the highest gains. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

NASA NTRS1977

Ground truth management system to support multispectral scanner /MSS/ digital analysis

A computerized geographic information system for management of ground truth has been designed and implemented to relate MSS classification results to in situ observations. The ground truth system transforms, generalizes and rectifies ground observations to conform to the pixel size and shape of high resolution MSS aircraft data. These observations can then be aggregated for comparison to lower resolution sensor data. Construction of a digital ground truth array allows direct pixel by pixel comparison between classification results of MSS data and ground truth. By making comparisons, analysts can identify spatial distribution of error within the MSS data as well as usual figures of merit for the classifications. Use of the ground truth system permits investigators to compare a variety of environmental or anthropogenic data, such as soil color or tillage patterns, with classification results and allows direct inclusion of such data into classification operations. To illustrate the system, examples from classification of simulated Thematic Mapper data for agricultural test sites in North Dakota and Kansas are provided.

Coiner, J. C.↗

DOE OSTI2015

Periodically driven ergodic and many-body localized quantum systems

We study dynamics of isolated quantum many-body systems whose Hamiltonian is switched between two different operators periodically in time. The eigenvalue problem of the associated Floquet operator maps onto an effective hopping problem. Using the effective model, we establish conditions on the spectral properties of the two Hamiltonians for the system to localize in energy space. We find that ergodic systems always delocalize in energy space and heat up to infinite temperature, for both local and global driving. In contrast, many-body localized systems with quenched disorder remain localized at finite energy. We support our conclusions by numerical simulations of disordered spin chains. We argue that our results hold for general driving protocols, and discuss their experimental implications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

NASA NTRS1977

Innovations in Medicine

NASA is planning now toward the day of long-duration flight-manned interplanetary missions for example-wherein routine health care and emergency treatment must be accomplished on-board the spacecraft over periods of months or perhaps even years. Since spacecraft design limits crew size, the medical assignment may be handled by a single astronaut-physician or by a crew member trained as a physician's assistant. In a space emergency demanding surgery, for instance, sophisticated communications equipment, backed by a computerized data processing system, would make it possible for a surgeon on Earth to "examine" the patient. He could study X-rays and other data, specify an in-flight surgical procedure, and guide the astronaut-medic step-by-step through the operation. Such a system is being evaluated now. It is called STARPAHC (Space Technology Applied to Rural Papago Health Care). NASA technology in space communications and data processing is being applied to remote health services for the Papago tribe. STARPAHC is administered by the NASA Life Sciences Directorate in the Office of Space Sciences. It is a joint program involving NASA's Johnson Space Center, the Indian Health Service of the Department of Health, Education & Welfare, and the Papago's Executive Health Council. Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. is NASA's systems support contractor.

Source record↗

DOE OSTI2021

Nuclear Power Fault Diagnostics and Preventative Maintenance Optimization

Operation and maintenance costs for nuclear power plants are very large. Reactors are starting to shut down even after their operating licenses have been extended, because they are not price competitive compared to other energy sources. The nuclear industry is witnessing early closure of nuclear power plants due to economic reasons despite excellent safety records. Therefore, it is imperative to reduce costs to prevent these early closures. This paper showcases recent research into advanced fault diagnostics techniques and preventative maintenance optimization to reduce these maintenance costs. This report focuses on the condensate and feedwater system for both pressurized and boiling water reactor systems. The computerized maintenance management system, which contains the plant’s digital record of all the corrective- and preventative-maintenance work orders, was used as a ground truth to locate potential faults and label the process data as healthy or faulty. Various feature extraction techniques were utilized to further differentiate the faults from the healthy data. Support vectors machines were used to categorize other test sets of process data as healthy or faulty through a cross validation procedure. Similar faults were not found within this system leading to preventative maintenance optimization. Unnecessary amounts of preventative maintenance lead to inflated maintenance costs. This paper summarizes the steps for preventative maintenance optimization from component health determination to recommendation for action. This optimization was completed for condensate pumps, condensate booster pumps, and the respective motors that drive them.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

NASA NTRS1992

A High-Fidelity Batch Simulation Environment for Integrated Batch and Piloted Air Combat Simulation Analysis

A batch air combat simulation environment known as the Tactical Maneuvering Simulator (TMS) is presented. The TMS serves as a tool for developing and evaluating tactical maneuvering logics. The environment can also be used to evaluate the tactical implications of perturbations to aircraft performance or supporting systems. The TMS is capable of simulating air combat between any number of engagement participants, with practical limits imposed by computer memory and processing power. Aircraft are modeled using equations of motion, control laws, aerodynamics and propulsive characteristics equivalent to those used in high-fidelity piloted simulation. Databases representative of a modern high-performance aircraft with and without thrust-vectoring capability are included. To simplify the task of developing and implementing maneuvering logics in the TMS, an outer-loop control system known as the Tactical Autopilot (TA) is implemented in the aircraft simulation model. The TA converts guidance commands issued by computerized maneuvering logics in the form of desired angle-of-attack and wind axis-bank angle into inputs to the inner-loop control augmentation system of the aircraft. This report describes the capabilities and operation of the TMS.

Goodrich, Kenneth H.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Principal Investigator-in-a-Box

Human performance in orbit is currently limited by several factors beyond the intrinsic awkwardness of motor control in weightlessness. Cognitive functioning can be affected by such factors as cumulative sleep loss, stress and the psychological effects of long-duration small-group isolation. When an astronaut operates a scientific experiment, the performance decrement associated with such factors can lead to lost or poor quality data and even the total loss of a scientific objective, at great cost to the sponsors and to the dismay of the Principal Investigator. In long-duration flights, as anticipated on the International Space Station and on any planetary exploration, the experimental model is further complicated by long delays between training and experiment, and the large number of experiments each crew member must perform. Although no documented studies have been published on the subject, astronauts report that an unusually large number of simple errors are made in space. Whether a result of the effects of microgravity, accumulated fatigue, stress or other factors, this pattern of increased error supports the need for a computerized decision-making aid for astronauts performing experiments. Artificial intelligence and expert systems might serve as powerful tools for assisting experiments in space. Those conducting space experiments typically need assistance exactly when the planned checklist does not apply. Expert systems, which use bits of human knowledge and human methods to respond appropriately to unusual situations, have a flexibility that is highly desirable in circumstances where an invariably predictable course of action/response does not exist. Frequently the human expert on the ground is unavailable, lacking the latest information, or not consulted by the astronaut conducting the experiment. In response to these issues, we have developed "Principal Investigator-in-a-Box," or [PI], to capture the reasoning process of the real expert, the Principal Investigator, and combine that with real-time data available in space in order to advise the astronaut about how to proceed in real time. [PI] advises the astronaut during the progress of an experiment in much the same way a real Principal Investigator might do while looking over the astronaut's shoulder. In its original application, [PI] mimicked several of the tasks of the Principal Investigator, including data quality monitoring, troubleshooting, prescheduling, protocol management and "interesting data" detection. The proposed research focuses on the efficacy of this technique as applied to the data quality monitoring and troubleshooting aspects of [PI].

Young, Laurence R.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Monitoring the Possible Effects of Corroding Fuel Cladding in Nuclear Ponds: a Modified ROV for Storage Ponds - 20144

Nuclear ponds are used worldwide to store radioactive nuclear material, often for extended periods of time. The pond water conditions need to be closely monitored so that mitigation strategies can be put in place should any leakage of radioactive material occur. This paper describes the selection, development and on-site deployment of a bespoke system whose design was based on of-the-shelf components. The system is able to identify, locate and differentiate the leakage of radioactive material stored in nuclear ponds from the background activity of the water in the pond. The selection of an appropriate detector and monitoring geometry was supported by MCNP modelling which allowed a high degree of confidence in the proposed design. The development of the system allowed a real-time indication of the canister integrity, without incurring the increased operator doses from manual sampling operations that were previously used on site. The benefits of the developed system include the fact that the system is lightweight, easily deployable, retrievable, decontaminable and results in negligible waste products. Moreover, it is able to analyse the samples in-situ, in this way reducing the time needed to manually collect and send the samples to a laboratory for lengthy analysis. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-I-11: A New Cone-Beam CT System for Bedside Head Imaging

Purpose: To design and develop a new mobile cone-beam CT (CBCT) system for head imaging with good soft-tissue visibility, to be used bedside in ICU and neurosurgery department to monitor treatment and operation outcome in brain patients. Methods: The imaging chain consists of a 30cmx25cm amorphous silicon flat panel detector and a pulsed, stationary anode monoblock x-ray source of 100kVp at a maximal tube current of 10mA. The detector and source are supported on motorized mechanisms to provide detector lateral shift and source angular tilt, enabling a centered digital radiographic imaging mode and half-fan CBCT, while maximizing the use of the x-ray field and keep the source to detector distance short. A focused linear anti-scatter grid is mounted on the detector, and commercial software with scatter and other corrective algorithms is used for data processing and image reconstruction. The gantry rotates around a horizontal axis, and is able to adjust its height for different patient table positions. Cables are routed through a custom protective sleeve over a large bore with an in-plane twister band, facilitating single 360-degree rotation without a slip-ring at a speed up to 5 seconds per rotation. A UPS provides about 10 minutes of operation off the battery when unplugged. The gantry is on locked casters, whose brake is control by two push handles on both sides for easy reposition. The entire system is designed to have a light weight and a compact size for excellent maneuverability. Results: System design is complete and main imaging components are tested. Initial results will be presented and discussed later in the presentation. Conclusion: A new mobile CBCT system for head imaging is being developed. With its compact size, a large bore, and quality design, it is expected to be a useful imaging tool for bedside uses. The work is supported by a grant from Chinese Academy of Sciences.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

Optics of the NIFS negative ion source test stand by infrared calorimetry and numerical modelling

At National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), a multi-ampere negative ion source is used to support the R&D on H{sup −} production, extraction, and acceleration. In this contribution, we study the characteristics of the acceleration system of this source, in order to characterize the beam optics at different operational conditions. A dedicated experimental campaign was carried out at NIFS, using as main diagnostic the infra-red imaging of the beam profiles. The experimental measurements are also compared with 3D numerical simulations, in order to validate the codes and to assess their degree of reliability. The simulations show a satisfactory agreement with the experimental results.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-235: Optical Scan Based Collision Avoidance Using Multiple Stereotactic Cameras During Simulation

Purpose: To demonstrate the ability to quickly generate an accurate collision avoidance map using multiple stereotactic cameras during simulation. Methods: Three Kinect stereotactic cameras were placed in the CT simulation room and optically calibrated to the DICOM isocenter. Immediately before scanning, the patient was optically imaged to generate a 3D polygon mesh, which was used to calculate the collision avoidance area using our previously developed framework. The mesh was visually compared to the CT scan body contour to ensure accurate coordinate alignment. To test the accuracy of the collision calculation, the patient and machine were physically maneuvered in the treatment room to calculated collision boundaries. Results: The optical scan and collision calculation took 38.0 seconds and 2.5 seconds to complete respectively. The collision prediction accuracy was determined using a receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis, where the true positive, true negative, false positive and false negative values were 837, 821, 43, and 79 points respectively. The ROC accuracy was 93.1% over the sampled collision space. Conclusion: We have demonstrated a framework which is fast and accurate for predicting collision avoidance for treatment which can be determined during the normal simulation process. Because of the speed, the system could be used to add a layer of safety with a negligible impact on the normal patient simulation experience. This information could be used during treatment planning to explore the feasible geometries when optimizing plans. Research supported by Varian Medical Systems.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-351: Establishing a Workflow for IMRT Pre-Treatment Reviews for NRG-GY006 Clinical Trial

Purpose: To establish a workflow for NRG-GY006 IMRT pre-treatment reviews, incorporating advanced radiotherapy technologies being evaluated as part of the clinical trial. Methods: Pre-Treatment reviews are required for every IMRT case as part of NRG-GY006 (a randomized phase II trial of radiation therapy and cisplatin alone or in combination with intravenous triapine in women with newly diagnosed bulky stage I B2, stage II, IIIB, or IVA cancer of the uterine cervix or stage II-IVA vaginal cancer. The pretreatment review process includes structures review and generating an active bone marrow(ABM)- to be used as an avoidance structure during IMRT optimization- and evaluating initial IMRT plan quality using knowledgeengineering based planning (KBP). Institutions will initially submit their simulation CT scan, structures file and PET/CT to IROC QA center for generating ABM. The ABM will be returned to the institution for use in planning. Institutions will then submit an initial IMRT plan for review and will receive information back following implementation of a KBP algorithm, for use in re-optimization, before submitting the final IMRT used for treatment. Results: ABM structure is generated using MIM vista software (Version 6.5, MIM corporation, Inc.). Here, the planning CT and the diagnostic PET/CT are fused and a sub threshold structure is auto segmented above the mean value of the SUV of the bone marrow. The generated ABM were compared with those generated with other software system (e.g. Velocity, Varian) and Dice coefficient (reflects the overlap of structures) ranged between 80 – 90% was achieved. A KBP model was built in Varian Eclipse TPS using the RapidPlan KBP software to perform plan quality assurance. Conclusion: The workflow for IMRT pretreatment reviews has been established. It represents a major improvement of NRG Oncology clinical trial quality assurance and incorporates the latest radiotherapy technologies as part of NCI clinical trials. This project was supported by grants U24CA180803 (IROC), UG1CA189867 (NCORP), U10CA180868 (NRG Oncology Operations), U10CA180822 (NRG Oncology SDMC) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and PA CURE grant.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2017

Improved Safety Injection Flow Map Associated with Target RCS Depressurization to Maintain Core Coolability of OPR1000

In Korea, Severe Accident Management Guidance (SAMG) for Optimized Power Reactor (OPR1000) has been developed through the research results related to the WOG SAMG, in which the operation phase shifts from the Emergency Operation Procedure (EOP) to the SAMG when the Core Exit Temperature (CET) reaches 923 K. Among 7 mitigation strategies envisioned, the third management strategy, injecting coolant into Reactor Coolant System (RCS) by depressurizing the RCS is one of the key strategies to fortify the in-vessel retention capability. As an aid to such mitigation strategy, a safety injection (SI) flow map has been developed by Lee et al. for predicting required flow rate associated with target RCS depressurization to recover in-vessel coolability. The mechanistic SI flow map used the CET increase rate and core water level decrease rate obtained from MELCOR code simulation. It should be noted that during the severe accident, the total heat generated is sum of the decay heat and the oxidation heat. Thus, it is necessary to consider additional heat sources by oxidation reaction between cladding, structure, control rod, and hot steam prior to the injection of coolant. It was believed that the SI model estimated required flow rate rather conservatively by considering the expected amount decay heat and the accumulated heat in the core based on the RCS pressure. However, it was confirmed that the SI model developed by Lee et al. could not represent the total heat removal especially since start of oxidation. Under transient conditions, the heat sources accumulated in the heat structures (fuel, cladding, supporting structures) should be embarked in the model for accurate contribution of the total heat source to the required flow rate. Therefore, the objective of this study is to improve the previous SI flow map predicting the injection flow rate associated with target RCS depressurization to satisfy the in-vessel coolability during severe accidents. Additional terms were developed to reflect accurate heat accumulating and included in the existing model. Resulting SI flow map includes the target RCS depressurization, which enables discharge of the required flow rate by utilizing the flow rate-pressure curve with operation of two high pressure safety injections (HPSIs). Also recent MELCOR simulation result of a postulated steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) accident verified the accuracy of the improved map.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗