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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

A Generalized Perturbation Theory Solver In Rattlesnake Based On PETSc With Application To TREAT Steady State Uncertainty Quantification

Rattlesnake and MAMMOTH are the designated TREAT analysis tools currently being developed at the Idaho National Laboratory. Concurrent with development of the multi-physics, multi-scale capabilities, sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification (SA/UQ) capabilities are required for predicitive modeling of the TREAT reactor. For steady-state SA/UQ, that is essential for setting initial conditions for the transients, generalized perturbation theory (GPT) will be used. This work describes the implementation of a PETSc based solver for the generalized adjoint equations that constitute a inhomogeneous, rank deficient problem. The standard approach is to use an outer iteration strategy with repeated removal of the fundamental mode contamination. The described GPT algorithm directly solves the GPT equations without the need of an outer iteration procedure by using Krylov subspaces that are orthogonal to the operator’s nullspace. Three test problems are solved and provide sufficient verification for the Rattlesnake’s GPT capability. We conclude with a preliminary example evaluating the impact of the Boron distribution in the TREAT reactor using perturbation theory.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Failure prediction and estimation of failure parameters

Machine-learning methods and apparatus are disclosed to determine frictional state or other parameters in an earthquake zone or other failing medium, using acoustic emission, seismic waves, or other detectable indicators of microscopic processes. Predictions of future failures are demonstrated in different regimes. A classifier is trained using time series of acoustic emission data along with historic data of frictional state or failure events. In disclosed examples, random forests and gradient boost trees are used, and grid-search or EGO procedures are used for hyperparameter tuning. Once trained, the classifier can be applied to testing or live data in order to assess a frictional state, assess seismic hazard, or make predictions regarding a future failure event. The technology has been developed in a double direct shear apparatus, but can be widely applied to seismic faults, other terrestrial failures, or failures in man-made structures. Variations are disclosed.

Johnson, Paul Allan↗
DOE OSTI2015

Comparison of CT Fluoroscopy-Guided Manual and CT-Guided Robotic Positioning System for In Vivo Needle Placements in Swine Liver

PurposeTo compare CT fluoroscopy-guided manual and CT-guided robotic positioning system (RPS)-assisted needle placement by experienced IR physicians to targets in swine liver.Materials and MethodsManual and RPS-assisted needle placement was performed by six experienced IR physicians to four 5 mm fiducial seeds placed in swine liver (n = 6). Placement performance was assessed for placement accuracy, procedure time, number of confirmatory scans, needle manipulations, and procedure radiation dose. Intra-modality difference in performance for each physician was assessed using paired t test. Inter-physician performance variation for each modality was analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis test.ResultsPaired comparison of manual and RPS-assisted placements to a target by the same physician indicated accuracy outcomes was not statistically different (manual: 4.53 mm; RPS: 4.66 mm; p = 0.41), but manual placement resulted in higher total radiation dose (manual: 1075.77 mGy/cm; RPS: 636.4 mGy/cm; p = 0.03), required more confirmation scans (manual: 6.6; RPS: 1.6; p < 0.0001) and needle manipulations (manual: 4.6; RPS: 0.4; p < 0.0001). Procedure time for RPS was longer than manual placement (manual: 6.12 min; RPS: 9.7 min; p = 0.0003). Comparison of inter-physician performance during manual placement indicated significant differences in the time taken to complete placements (p = 0.008) and number of repositions (p = 0.04) but not in other study measures (p > 0.05). Comparison of inter-physician performance during RPS-assisted placement suggested statistically significant differences in procedure time (p = 0.02) and not in other study measures (p > 0.05).ConclusionsCT-guided RPS-assisted needle placement reduced radiation dose, number of confirmatory scans, and needle manipulations when compared to manual needle placement by experienced IR physicians, with equivalent accuracy.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Waste Chemistry Envelope for the Determination of Pitting Corrosion Susceptibility - 19554

Liquid radioactive wastes at the Hanford and Savannah River sites are stored in large underground carbon steel tanks. The high-level wastes are processed in several of the tanks and then transferred by piping to other site facilities for further processing before they are stabilized in a vitrified or grout waste form. Based on waste removal and processing schedules, many of the tanks, will be required to be in service for times exceeding the initial intended life (i.e., greater than 60 years). Until the waste is removed from storage, transferred, and processed, the materials and structures of the tanks must maintain a confinement function by providing a barrier to the environment and by maintaining acceptable structural stability during design basis events, which include loadings from both normal service and abnormal (e.g., earthquake) conditions. Administrative programs are in place to mitigate potential corrosion mechanisms and thereby maintain the structural and leak integrity functions of these waste tanks throughout their intended service life. Waste chemistry and temperature control are the means by which corrosion degradation of the waste tanks is minimized. Chemistry controls are based on in-situ coupon tests, waste tank experience, and laboratory testing. These requirements comprise the technical standards for corrosion control. The standards are utilized then as guidelines for operational procedures. The present waste chemistry controls for the Hanford DSTs were established in the 1980's in response to tank failures caused by stress corrosion cracking (SCC) at the DOE Savannah River Site (SRS). Portions of the SRS chemistry limits, which were developed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) were coupled with corrosion testing results from Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) and adopted for corrosion control of the double-shell tank (DST) waste at the Hanford Site. Since that time, the temperatures of the waste in the DSTs have decreased to less than 50 deg. C in most cases as the radioactive material has decayed. As a consequence, new chemistry controls were formulated for SCC in 2010. This testing however, did not address that potential for pitting in the supernatant and at the liquid-air interface. Indeed, initial tests indicated that the inhibitor requirements for SCC would be insufficient for the prevention of pitting. In addition to lower waste temperatures, future retrieval and process changes may impact the DST waste chemistry. Initial projections suggest that the waste chemistry of the DSTs may shift to a broader range of pH and higher aggressive anion concentrations (e.g., chloride, sulfate, etc.) than the wastes that are presently stored. Additionally, processes within the vitrification facility may result in streams that are returned to the tank farm for evaporation. These streams may also contain high concentrations of aggressive species. SRNL investigated the propensity for pitting of the carbon steel waste tanks at current and projected DST waste chemistries. A statistically designed series of tests provided a pitting factor that relates the ratio of the inhibitor species to the aggressive species and the probability of observing pitting. An acceptable pitting factor was determined and was utilized for the development of a new chemistry envelope. The new chemistry envelope was compared to the envelope that was established for SCC and was determined to be bounding. Validation of the new chemistry envelope was performed via model simulations and comparison with historical experimental results and approaches to establishing chemistry envelopes. The new chemistry envelope will eventually be part of an overall assessment of the condition of the tanks and any changes made to the overall structural integrity program for the Hanford DSTs. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2015

FY15 Report on Thermomechanical Testing

Sandia is participating in the third phase of a United States (US)-German Joint Project that compares constitutive models and simulation procedures on the basis of model calculations of the thermomechanical behavior and healing of rock salt (Salzer et al. 2015). The first goal of the project is to evaluate the ability of numerical modeling tools to correctly describe the relevant deformation phenomena in rock salt under various influences. Among the numerical modeling tools required to address this are constitutive models that are used in computer simulations for the description of the thermal, mechanical, and hydraulic behavior of the host rock under various influences and for the long-term prediction of this behavior. Achieving this goal will lead to increased confidence in the results of numerical simulations related to the secure disposal of radioactive wastes in rock salt. Results of the Joint Project may ultimately be used to make various assertions regarding stability analysis of an underground repository in salt during the operating phase as well as long-term integrity of the geological barrier in the post-operating phase A primary evaluation of constitutive model capabilities comes by way of predicting large-scale field tests. The Joint Project partners decided to model Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Rooms B & D which are full-scale rooms having the same dimensions. Room D deformed under natural, ambient conditions while Room B was thermally driven by an array of waste-simulating heaters (Munson et al. 1988; 1990). Existing laboratory test data for WIPP salt were carefully scrutinized and the partners decided that additional testing would be needed to help evaluate advanced features of the constitutive models. The German partners performed over 140 laboratory tests on WIPP salt at no charge to the US Department of Energy (DOE).

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Specification of EBR-II Contact Profilometry Data

All contact profilometry data stored in FIPD was originally measured using the HFEF vertical contact profilometer, which was an electronic gauge to measure the diameter profile of an element or capsule continuously over the region of interest. The element could be rotated as it passed through the probes if the wire wrap was not to be removed and the element could be returned to reactor for further irradiation. If the wire wrap was removed, the element could be drawn vertically through the probes, rotated, and the process repeated. In this way any cladding ovality could be observed. Figure 1 shows the setup used to measure the fuel pin diameter profile. The ambient temperature during the measurement was ~21-23 ºC. The cladding temperature during the measurement is considered to be similar to the ambient temperature by assuming the fuel decay heat did not impact the cladding temperature. Two documents contain most of the important details about contact profilometry measurements. The first one is the operational manual of the contact profilometer (title: Element contact profilometer operation and maintenance, HFEF/N OMM 4326, DOC. NO. W0202-0007-SA-01). This manual provides: (1) description of the contact profilometer including the functions of each component (support stage, sensing head, control system, and calibration standards, etc.); (2) step-by-step guidance on calibrations, operations, and measurements; and (3) maintenance procedures and other details of the contact profilometer. The second document is a publicly accessible report entitled “A Fuel-element Profilometer for the HFEF.” This report describes the development of the contact profilometer, including the design requirements, features, and details of each component, as well as the acceptance tests for the built system. This document is important because it reports the uncertainties of the measurements with detailed deduction procedures. The reported uncertainties should apply to all hard-copy contact profilometry data in FIPD. Some key information about contact profilometry measurements was extracted from these two documents. Combining the information with other sources, a specification for interpretating the contact profilometry data in FIPD was established.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

PSpecteR: A User-Friendly and Interactive Application for Visualizing Top-Down and Bottom-Up Proteomics Data in R

Visual examination of mass spectrometry data is necessary to assess data quality and to facilitate data exploration. Graphics provide the means to evaluate spectral properties, test alternative peptide/protein sequence matches, prepare annotated spectra for publication, and fine-tune parameters during wet lab procedures. Visual inspection of MS data is hindered by proprietary proteomics visualization software designed for particular workflows and academic software that lack visualization tools. We built PSpecteR, an open-source and interactive R Shiny web application to address these issues, with support for several steps of proteomics data processing, including: reading various mass spectrometry files, running open-source database search tools, labelling spectra with fragmentation patterns, testing post-translational modifications, plotting where identified fragments map to reference sequences, and visualizing algorithmic output and metadata. All figures, tables, and spectra are exportable within one easy-to-use graphical user interface. Our current software provides a flexible and modern R framework to support fast implementation of additional features. The open source code is readily available (https://github.com/EMSL-Computing/PSpecteR), and a PSpecteR Docker container (https://hub.docker.com/r/emslcomputing) is available for easy local installation.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Advances in benchmarking and round robin testing for PEM water electrolysis: Reference protocol and hardware

While the number of publications in the PEM water electrolysis community increases each year, no common ground concerning reference hardware (test cells and test bench) and testing protocols has been yet established. This would, however, be necessary for the comparability of experimental results. First attempts for such reference hardware and procedures have been made in the framework of the Task 30 Electrolysis within the Technology Collaboration Programme on Advanced Fuel Cells (AFC TCP) of the International Energy Agency (IEA). Since then, improvements of both the test hardware (test cell and components) as well as the measurement protocol were identified, and a revised methodology and key results based on a comprehensive measurement series have been obtained. A detailed protocol for testing commercial reference components with a reference laboratory test cell developed in-house by Fraunhofer ISE is presented. For evaluation of the protocol and the hardware, it was tested at three different institutions at the same time. Impedance spectroscopic and polarization data was acquired and analyzed. The obtained differences in performance were calculated to give the community an expectation window to compare own data to. Finally, the importance of a thorough temperature control and the conditioning phase are demonstrated.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2026

Data for Immediate Impacts of Soybean Cover Crop on Bacterial Community Composition and Diversity in Soil Under Long-Term Saccharum Monoculture

Saccharum yield decline results from long-term monoculture practices. Changes in cropping management can improve soil health and productivity. Below-ground bacterial community diversity and composition across soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) cover crop, Saccharum monoculture (30+ year) and fallowed soil were determined. Near full length (~1,400 base pairs) of 16S rRNA gene sequences were extracted from the rhizospheres of sugarcane and soybean and fallowed soil were compared. Higher soil bacterial diversity was observed in the soybean cover crop than sugarcane monoculture across all measured indices (observed operationational taxonomic units, Chao1, Shannon, reciprocal Simpson and Jackknife). Acidocateria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Planctomycetes were the most abundant bacterial phyla across the treatments. Indicator species analysis identified nine indicator phyla. Planctomycetes, Armatimonadetes and candidate phylum FBP were associated with soybean; Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were linked with sugarcane and Gemmatimonadetes, Nitrospirae, Rokubacteria and unclassified bacteria were associated with fallowed soil. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis showed distinct groupings of bacterial operational taxonomic units (97% identity) according to management system (soybean, sugarcane or fallow) indicating compositional differences among treatments. This is confirmed by the results of the multi-response permutation procedures (A = 0.541, p = 0.00045716). No correlation between soil parameters and bacterial community structure was observed according to Mantel test (r = 211865, p = 0.14). Use of soybean cover-crop fostered bacterial diversity and altered community structure. This indicates cover crops could have a restorative effect and potentially promote sustainability in long-term Saccharum production systems.

Field Data↗
DOE OSTI2015

Maximum Likelihood Expectation-Maximization Algorithms Applied to Localization and Identification of Radioactive Sources with Recent Coded Mask Gamma Cameras

In this work, we tested Maximum likelihood expectation-maximization (MLEM) algorithms optimized for gamma imaging applications on two recent coded mask gamma cameras. We respectively took advantage of the characteristics of the GAMPIX and Caliste HD-based gamma cameras: noise reduction thanks to mask/anti-mask procedure but limited energy resolution for GAMPIX, high energy resolution for Caliste HD. One of our short-term perspectives is the test of MAPEM algorithms integrating specific prior values for the data to reconstruct adapted to the gamma imaging topic. (authors)

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-T-118: Analysis of Variability and Stability Between Two Water Tank Phantoms Utilizing Water Tank Commissioning Procedures

Purpose: The commissioning criteria of water tank phantoms are essential for proper accuracy and reproducibility in a clinical setting. This study outlines the results of mechanical and dosimetric testing between PTW MP3-M water tank system and the Standard Imaging Doseview 3D water tank system. Methods: Measurements were taken of each axis of movement on the tank using 30 cm calipers at 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 200 mm for accuracy and reproducibility of tank movement. Dosimetric quantities such as percent depth dose and dose profiles were compared between tanks using a 6 MV beam from a Varian 23EX LINAC. Properties such as scanning speed effects, central axis depth dose agreement with static measurements, reproducibility of measurements, symmetry and flatness, and scan time between tanks were also investigated. Results: Results showed high geometric accuracy within 0.2 mm. Central axis PDD and in-field profiles agreed within 0.75% between the tanks. These outcomes test many possible discrepancies in dose measurements across the two tanks and form a basis for comparison on a broader range of tanks in the future. Conclusion: Both 3D water scanning phantoms possess a high degree of spatial accuracy, allowing for equivalence in measurements regardless of the phantom used. A commissioning procedure when changing water tanks or upon receipt of a new tank is nevertheless critical to ensure consistent operation before and after the arrival of new hardware.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

The Effect of Surface Condition on Wetting of HASTELLOY{sup ®} X by Brazing Filler Metal of Ni-Pd-Cr-B-Si System

The paper presents the results of wettability tests by a sessile drop method coupled with residual gas analysis for the HASTELLOY{sup ®} X substrates contact heated with brazing filler metal of Palnicro 36M. The contact angles formed between the substrate and the molten brazing filler metal were recorded by high-speed high-resolution CCD camera using two different heating procedures: (1) fast continuous heating to a temperature of 960 °C; (2) isothermal heating at a temperature of 995 °C for 10 min after step heating to the test temperature. In this study, the reference sample was HASTELLOY{sup ®} X in a delivery state (D1). The base material with a different surface finish was also tested: after polishing (P1), after polishing and oxidation at a temperature of 600 °C for 1 h in the air (U1). The tests confirmed very good wetting properties of Palnicro 36M on HASTELLOY{sup ®} X, independently on its surface finish and the heating procedure used in this study, i.e., after 10 min at 995 °C, the final contact angle values were θ{sub f} = 7.6 ± 0.1°, 6.03 ± 0.07° and 6.2 ± 1.0° for D1, P1 and U1, respectively. However, oxidation of HASTELLOY{sup ®} X surface affects the wetting kinetics and spreading of molten Palnicro 36M on BM substrates by: (1) increasing the initial contact angle values (θ{sub 0} = 51 ± 4°, 65 ± 13° and 83 ± 2° for D1, P1 and U1, respectively), (2) delaying the wetting process and (3) reducing the spreading area since after wettability tests at 960 °C, the largest area covered with solidified Palnicro 36M drop was noted for D1 (92 mm{sup 2}) while the smallest one for U1 (52 mm{sup 2}).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Characterisation and testing of CHEC-M—A camera prototype for the small-sized telescopes of the Cherenkov telescope array

The Compact High Energy Camera (CHEC) is a camera design for the Small-Sized Telescopes (SSTs; 4 m diameter mirror) of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The SSTs are focused on very-high-energy γ-ray detection via atmospheric Cherenkov light detection over a very large area. This implies many individual units and hence cost-effective implementation, as well as shower detection at large impact distance, and hence large field of view (FoV), and efficient image capture in the presence of large time gradients in the shower image detected by the camera. CHEC relies on dual-mirror optics to reduce the plate-scale and make use of 6 x 6 mm 2 pixels, leading to a low-cost (~150 k€), compact (0.5 m x 0.5 m), and light (~45 kg) camera with 2048 pixels providing a camera FoV of ~9 degrees. The CHEC electronics are based on custom TARGET (TeV array readout with GSa/s sampling and event trigger) application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) sampling incoming signals at a gigasample per second, with flexible camera-level triggering within a single backplane FPGA. CHEC is designed to observe in the γ-ray energy range of 1–300 TeV, and at impact distances up to 500 m. To accommodate this and provide full flexibility for later data analysis, full waveforms with 96 samples for all 2048 pixels can be read out at rates up to ~900 Hz. The first prototype, CHEC-M, based on multi-anode photomultipliers (MAPMs) as photosensors, was commissioned and characterised in the laboratory and during two measurement campaigns on a telescope structure at the Paris Observatory in Meudon. Here in this paper, the results and conclusions from the laboratory and on-site testing of CHEC-M are presented. They have provided essential input on the system design and on operational and data analysis procedures for a camera of this type. In conclusion, a second full-camera prototype based on Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), addressing the drawbacks of CHEC-M identified during the first prototype phase, has already been built and is currently being commissioned and tested in the laboratory.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Advanced instrumentation and analysis methods for in-pile thermal and nuclear measurements: from out-of-pile studies to irradiation campaigns

Research and development on nuclear fuel behavior under irradiations and accelerated ageing of structure materials is a key issue for sustainable nuclear energy in order to meet specific needs by keeping the best level of safety. A new Material Testing Reactor (MTR), the Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR) currently under construction in the South of France in the CEA Cadarache research centre will offer a real opportunity to perform R and D programs and hence will crucially contribute to the selection, optimization and qualification of innovative materials and fuels. To perform such programs advanced accurate and innovative experiments, irradiation devices that contain material and fuel samples are required to be set up inside or beside the reactor core. These experiments needs beforehand in situ and on line sophisticated measurements to accurately reach specific and determining parameters such as thermal and fast neutron fluxes, nuclear heating and temperature conditions to precisely monitor and control the conducted assays. Consequently, since 2009 CEA and Aix-Marseille University collaborate in order to design and develop a new multi-sensor device which will be dedicated to measuring profiles of such conditions inside the experimental channels of the JHR. These works are performed in the framework of two complementary joint research programs called MAHRI-BETHY and INCORE. These programs couple experimental studies carried out both out-of nuclear fluxes (in laboratory) and under irradiation conditions (in OSIRIS MTR reactor in France and MARIA MTR reactor in Poland) with numerical works realized by thermal simulations (CAST3M code) and Monte Carlo simulations (MCNP code). These programs deal with three main aims. The first one corresponds to the design and/or the test of new in-pile instrumentation. The second one concerns the development of advanced calibration procedures in particular in the case of one specific sensor: a differential calorimeter used to quantify nuclear heating. The last one consists in the development of accurate measurement and analysis methods. The paper will be dedicated to a complete review of the experimental and numerical works performed since 2009 thanks to two parts. The first part will detail a new thermal approach implemented to improve nuclear heating measurements by radiometric calorimeters. New experimental tools (calorimeter prototypes and set-ups such BETHY Bench) developed to perform preliminary out-of-pile studies under suitable conditions will be presented (temperature and velocity of the external cooling fluid, heat source localization and intensity inside the calorimetric cells). Then the response of two kinds of sensors, their calibrations curves and their thermal behaviors will be compared for various parameters. Finally validated numerical thermal and Monte Carlo works will be discussed to propose new improvements. The second parts of the paper will focus on works realized in order to design, develop and test the first prototype of the multi-sensor device called CARMEN [7-9]. The two mock-ups dedicated respectively to neutron measurements and photon measurements will be detailed. The results obtained during two irradiation campaigns inside the periphery of OSIRIS reactor will be shown. The new analysis method will be discussed. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Computational Procedure for Assessing I$_{c}(\varepsilon$) in Nb$_{3}$Sn/Bi-2212 Hybrid Magnets

The critical current of superconductors is commonly measured by testing unloaded wires under an external magnetic field. While stressed by intense Lorentz forces, the existing HTS/LTS superconductors are prone to a reduction in critical current before reaching their structural mechanical limit. Here, in this work, the magnetic and mechanical analysis of the FNAL 4-layer Bi-2212/Nb$_{3}$Sn hybrid dipole magnet is reported, aimed at predicting the critical current degradation for both the superconductors during powering at 16T. All the Rutherford cables in the coils of the hybrid magnet were modeled at the strand level in Ansys APDL with the heterogeneous cable model. Utilizing this detailed geometry, it was possible to evaluate the effects of strain on the critical current degradation for both the Nb$_{3}$Sn and Bi-2212 superconductors under the intense Lorentz forces. The analysis presented in this paper integrates strain-dependent critical current laws, with parameters derived from experimental data, to simulate the hybrid magnet's performance for all possible current-powering configurations. The proposed methodology enables a detailed assessment of conductor integrity and I$_{C}(\varepsilon$) reduction in existing hybrid magnet designs, providing a versatile and rigorous framework for optimizing future high-field hybrid magnets.

D'Agliano, A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laborato↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-G-JeP3-07: Real-Time Image Guided Radiation Therapy for Heterotopic Ossification in Patients After Hip Replacement

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of using CBCT in a real-time image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for single fraction heterotopic ossification (HO) in patients after hip replacement. In this real-time procedure, all steps, from simulation, imaging, planning to treatment delivery, are performed at the treatment unit in one appointment time slot. This work promotes real-time treatment to create a paradigm shift in the single fraction radiation therapy. Methods: An integrated real-time IGRT for HO was developed and tested for radiation treatment of heterotopic ossification for patient after hip replacement. After CBCT images are acquired at the linac, and sent to the treatment planning system, the physician determines the field and/or draws a block. Subsequently, a simple 2D AP/PA plan with prescription of 700 cGy is created on-the-fly for physician to review. Once the physician approves the plan, the patient is treated on the same simulation position. This real-time treatment requires the team of attending physician, physicist, therapists, and dosimetrist to work in harmony to achieve all the steps in a timely manner. Results: Ten patients have been treated with this real-time treatment, having the same beams arrangement treatment plan and prescription as our clinically regular CT-based 2D plans. The average time for these procedures are 52.9 ±10.7 minutes from the time patient entered the treatment room until s/he exited, and 37.7 ±8.6 minutes from starting CBCT until last beam delivered. Conclusion: The real-time IGRT for HO treatment has been tested and implemented to be a clinically accepted procedure. This one-time appointment greatly enhances the waiting time, especially when patients in high level of pain, and provides a convenient approach for the whole clinical staff. Other disease sites will be also tested with this new technology.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Determination of Water Content in Bio-Oils by Volumetric Karl Fischer Titration: Laboratory Analytical Procedure (LAP)

The water content of bio-oils is a key metric for several reasons. Water is typically the most concentrated single component of fast pyrolysis oils, though this will be much lower in catalytic fast pyrolysis and upgraded products. Reduced water content is preferable in bio-oil as water can contribute to phase separation, corrosivity, and instability. Additionally, lower water is beneficial for physical properties such as energy density. The percentage of water can also be used to correct the calculation for organic oxygen when determining total oxygen content of bio-oils via combustion-based ultimate analysis. The procedure described here is specifically written for the analysis of bio-oils, and is based on ASTM E203, Standard Test Method for Water Using Volumetric Karl Fischer Titration. This standard test method is specified for measuring the mass % water in pyrolysis liquid biofuels in ASTM D7544, Standard Specification for Pyrolysis Liquid Biofuel. Although the standard method is prescribed for the analysis of pyrolysis liquids for use in industrial and commercial burners, the method is not specifically written for this product. The method described with this Laboratory Analytical Procedure (LAP) provides specific guidance for the analysis of bio-oils. Both organic and aqueous phases can be measured with this technique.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Solid-phase synthesis of boron carbides ReB{sub 2}C (Re = Ho, Tm, Lu) of rare earth elements

Approaches to solid-phase synthesis of boron carbides of heavy rare-earth elements using the hydride phase have been considered. Synthetic procedures with the use of carbon in the forms of carbon black and pyrographite were tested under atmospheric pressure, in medium and high vacuum. The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray and chemical (elemental) analyzes. A technique for obtaining compact samples of boron carbides of Ho, Tm, and Lu, which are homogeneous in the phase composition, has been developed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗