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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 OSTI2020

Initial Radiation of Nuclear Power Plant Components (CRADA NFE-17-06892 Final Report)

As advanced reactor concepts are developed, instrumentation and control (I&C) cables and sensors will play a significant role in assuring their operation is well understood, and safety-related process information can be collected reliably over the course of their design life. As a first step to develop acceptance criteria and define the limits of currently available nuclear I&C cable and sensor technology, a collaboration between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Analysis and Measurement Services (AMS) Corporation was initiated under the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) Program. This collaborative effort focused on providing technical information related to the combined thermal and radiation aging of nuclear power plant (NPP) cables, companion NPP cable insulation samples, and two prototype temperature and two pressure sensors. This work was carried out using the instrumented gamma irradiation system that is part of the High Flux Isotope Reactor Gamma Irradiation Facility (HFIR GIF). This system provided the opportunity for the condition of the prototype sensors to be tracked during the irradiation in order to determine their functional limits with greater granularity when compared to a simple irradiation insertion at the HFIRGIF. Experimental assemblies for sensor irradiation were successfully completed, and sensor irradiation to accumulated dose of 3000 kGy at a rate of approximately 6 kGy/hr was carried out. Two prototype temperature assemblies were continuously monitored during exposure to 3000 kGy and found to have no observable degradation from the irradiation. Two pressure sensors were first irradiated to 1000 kGy. At which point, one of the sensors was found to operate normally; however, a second sensor failed the operability test. The operable pressure sensor output was then continuously monitored from 1000 kGy to 3000 kGy. The sensor output exhibited steady trendable drift versus the accumulated radiation dose. At the conclusion of the irradiation, the four test sensors were released for laboratory calibration checks. The calibration check of the temperature sensors found no significant change after irradiation compared to baseline measurements before irradiation; however, both pressure sensors failed the post-test calibration checks and both sensors were not functioning properly. These results will help inform sensor manufacturers and I&C design engineers of potential limitations of these types of sensors for use in high radiation environments associated with the compact configuration of new Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) such as NuScale’s reactor power module. Irradiations on NPP cables and companion samples were not completed due to programmatic delays, however a path forward that was based on lessons learned from this project was defined to accommodate future, comparable instrumented gamma irradiations at the HFIR GIF.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Sensor Recommendations for Long Term Monitoring of the F-Area Seepage Basins

In mid-2018, a new paradigm for long-term monitoring was developed after of decade of applied research projects funded by the Department of Energy’s office of Environmental Management Technology Development program. The program at SRNL was focused on transitioning complex environmental waste sites from active to passive remediations strategies. A key result of these studies was that the use of enhanced attenuation approaches at radiologically contaminated sites will result in the creation of secondary source areas in the subsurface that will require monitoring for decades. Alternative monitoring approaches are being developed and tested at the Savannah River Site’s F-Area Hazardous Waste Management Facility, the new paradigm provides innovative solutions that will significantly lower costs of monitoring through the coupling of data collection, machine learning and deterministic groundwater modeling. The foundation of this approach is a well-optimized network of sensors for measuring hydrogeochemical master variables that control, and therefore act as indicators of groundwater contaminant transport. By monitoring changes in the controlling master variables over time arising from geological and environmental shifts, predictive modelling can assist with identifying new strategies for ensuring regulatory requirements are met if trends toward conditions for potential remobilization of attenuated contaminants are detected. In this report, we evaluated commercially available single parameter sensor platforms (e.g., temperature/depth) and configurable multi-parameter sensor platforms (e.g., pH, oxidation-reduction potential, temperature, depth, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity). Each was scored using an optimization function based on how well the system supports the proposed long-term monitoring paradigm, in general, and the site-specific conditions at F-Area, in particular. Several viable sensor systems were identified. Of these, a combined platform including the In-Situ Aqua TROLL 500 multi-parameter sensor platform and the In-Situ temperature/depth sensor had the highest rating and was identified as the most suitable candidate for installation and monitoring of the master variables and potentiometric surface that control groundwater contaminant plumes emanating from the F-Area Seepage Basins. The discussion of recommended potential deployment locations builds upon recommendations made by Denham et al (2019).

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2019

Data Analytics for Electrical Distribution Systems with Micro PMUs (GMLC 1.4.9 Technical Report)

This report describes how electrical utilities with residential, industrial, commercial and government customers make decisions using Data Analytics (DA) applications and discusses how OpenFMB was leveraged to share that data among disparate types of devices for DA. OpenFMB is a data standard developed by utilities for distributed communication and control of power system assets. Here we explored how OpenFMB can be used for sharing analytics and what those analytics could be for a set of representative grid devices. A review of DA applications performed by electrical utilities and customers is presented. An overview of how the testbed we used was built and configured is summarized. Several experiments which were carried out to explore the capabilities of OpenFMB alongside other data sharing mechanisms for gathering sensor measurements and sharing analytics is also discussed. And finally a comparison of OpenFMB and LBNL’s SPARK framework is summarized. Today’s electrical utilities focus on monitoring the real-time customer consumptions, offering new real-time tariff models based on customer usage habits (rewards and punishments), providing energy peak during peak load times (plan energy generation and distribution), improving the load management for transformers and power lines, and controlling the energy and grid resources efficiently. On the other hand, the DA applications for residential customers are based on modifying the customer electricity usage habit to save money, making accurate and timely decisions for electrical billing. However, the DA applications for industrial, commercial and government customers focus on creating efficient programs to improve the environmental condition (reducing CO₂ emission), developing better load forecasting for industrial and/or commercial activities. In this project, a testbed was built to explore how the OpenFMB framework can be used to distribute data among various types of representative grid edge devices. Micro PMUs (Phasor Measurement Unit) were used to collect and transmit data to an OpenPDC server alongside relays with a framework configured with a system using OpenFMB to collect and transmit data. The testbed was composed of a physical asset based on a 60 Hz AC radial power system constructed using SI-GRID components. The power system consisted of a 3-phase 14 volts line-to-ground (24 volts line-to-line) power source, three 3-phase line emulators, a programmable resistive load bank, two smart relays, two micro PMUs, and a (SCADA) and Phasor Data Concentrator (PDC) computer. This testbed configuration allowed us to perform breaker operation tests collecting data from the micro PMUs and from the relays’ sensors. During the micro PMU breaker operation tests we collected the measured and estimated fundamental voltages, currents, frequency as well as the total true, reactive and apparent power. The displacement power factor from two micro PMUs located in parallel power lines was also used. The software steps for the implementation of the Synchrophasor system are explained in detail in this report. The setting (1-2-3) and data collection (4-5) phases were performed with a free download open source software. In the setting phase, the micro PMUs were set (1), the data stream for each micro PMU was validated, and the connection and configuration files were created (2). The PDC computer was set using the connection and configuration files of the micro PMUs (3). In the data collection phase, the binary data from the micro PMUs was collected (4), and the binary data files of the micro PMUs was converted to analyze the test results (5). OpenFMB was configured to use protocol translators to read Modbus and transform the reading into the OpenFMB data model to be read for DA applications.Our experiments showed that by leveraging the OpenFMB data model and the micro PMUs together we could obtain better situational awareness of network faults, which in some cases could lead to failures in the system and would be less perceivable otherwise. For example, in one experiment the fundamental RMS current angle, and the fundamental displacement power factor (estimated by the ratio between the measured real and apparent total power) had a disturbance at the micro PMU connected to the beginning of the parallel power line because the breaker was opened without the operators or SCADA system’s knowledge, and no current was available. Based on the breaker state scenarios and micro PMU locations, the DA applications using the current angle and displacement power factor from the micro PMUs should be studied in detail to avoid a non-desired measurement that could affect the decision from the DA. Also, the sample rates for PMU, Relay and micro PMU devices were compared. The DA application improved the control and operation between the electrical utilities and their customers (residential, industrial, transportation, commercial and government). The higher the sample rate, the better the quality of the measurement for DA estimations.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Summary of Structural Material Modeling Development for the NEAMS Program in Fiscal Year 2020

This report summarizes work performed during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for the U.S. Department of Energy?s Nuclear Engineering Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program for the Structural Materials and Chemistry Technical Area in the work package entitled "MS- 20IN050104 - Structural Materials - INL." The Structural Materials and Chemistry Technical Area is a relatively new component of the NEAMS program, and is currently focusing on developing simulation capabilities to support the deployment of nuclear energy in the areas of molten salt reactor chemistry, light water reactor (LWR) structural material degradation, and structural material behavior for advanced reactor applications. INL performed work for to advance capabilities for simulation of structural material behavior in both LWR and advanced reactor applications in the work described here.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Tribal Colleges and Universities/American Indian Higher Education Consortium Advanced Manufacturing Technical Assistance Project

The National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) created a Minority Serving Institution Partnership Plan (MSIPP) to 1) align investments in a university capacity and workforce development with the NNSA mission to develop the needed skills and talent for NNSA's enduring technical workforce at the laboratories and production plants and 2) to enhance research and education at underrepresented colleges and universities. Out of this effort, MSIPP launched a new program in early FY17 focused on Tribal Colleges and Universities (I'CUs). The following report summarizes the project focus and status update during this reporting period.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2019

FY19 Report on the Status of Sodium Exposure Tests of the A709 First Commercial Heat

This report provides an update on the understanding of the effects of sodium exposures on tensile properties of advanced alloy A709 in support of the design and operation of structural components in sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs). The focus of the FY19 program was (a) to complete the sodium exposure of sub-sized specimens from A 709 lab heats and 316H (a reference material) and (b) to continue sodium exposure of sub-sized specimens from A 709 commercial heat 58776.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2021

2021 Annual Progress Report: Vertical GaN Device Development

This project is part of a multi-lab consortium that leverages U.S. research expertise and facilities at national labs and universities to significantly advance electric drive power density and reliability, while simultaneously reducing cost. The final objective of the consortium is to develop a 100 kW traction drive system that achieves 33 kW/L, has an operational life of 300,000 miles, and a cost of less than 6 dollars/kW. One element of the system is a 100 kW inverter with a power density of 100 kW/L and a cost of 2.7 dollars/kW. New materials such as wide-bandgap semiconductors, soft magnetic materials, and ceramic dielectrics, integrated using multi-objective co-optimization design techniques, will be utilized to achieve these program goals. This project focuses on a subset of the power electronics work within the consortium, specifically the design, fabrication, and evaluation of vertical GaN power devices suitable for automotive applications.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Understanding How Organizations Handle Cybersecurity

If there is anything we can learn from the media, it is the frequency and severity of cyber-attacks is increasing and there are not enough qualified people to combat the risk organizations are facing. Current estimates say there are 3.5 million available cybersecurity related jobs globally and there has been a 350% growth in cybersecurity jobs since 2013 (Group, 2020). The Idaho Cyber Research Project (ICRP) is focused on finding an implementing solution to the problems in the workforce development pipeline. Our team consists of Cohort 2 of the ICRP, we are tasked with solving issues faced by organizations hiring new cyber personnel. To provide solutions to these issues we focused our research on four components of workforce availability and competency: resume and transcript analysis, apprenticeships, cyber incident response plan development, and adversarial mindset training. From this research we have produced the following focus areas and subsequent steps for each component of workforce capability: transcript and knowledge skills abilities (KSA) focused analysis, cybersecurity apprenticeships programs, the value of an adversarial mindset, and a guide to setting up cyber incident response plans for underprepared organizations. These solutions can be further developed and implemented to reduce the gap in workforce demand and talent.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Particles and Fields via String Compactification

The project involved an integrated program of research which focused on the use of the extra-dimensional geometry of string theory as a tool in understanding a variety of phenomena in quantum field theory. This was used to construct and study new examples of quantum field theories with the eventual aim of also using these results to develop new particle physics and cosmology scenarios. The research involved the development of new methods for constructing such extra-dimensional geometries, and also the study of the resulting quantum field theories generated by this process.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

UK-US Collaboration on Fossil Energy R&D: Steam Side Oxidation

In recent years, interest in increasing the efficiency of power plants based on steam generation has led to the need to develop and qualify materials capable of operating at steam temperatures and pressures significantly higher than those employed in current power plants. The overall focus of this international program is on using ferritic-martensitic steels to the maximum possible temperature, before switching to austenitic steels and/or Ni-based alloys. The relatively low Cr content of these alloys raises concerns regarding their resistance to steam oxidation at these higher temperatures. Earlier work in this collaboration addressed the reliability of data from atmospheric pressure, laboratory-based steam oxidation tests. This raised issues regarding how representative the laboratory-grown oxides were compared to those formed on service-exposed material and how the tests could be made more reliable by introducing added complexity. In general laboratory-scale exposures are conducted under isothermal conditions at ambient or slightly elevated pressure, using a relatively low flow rate of steam. The coupons used in these tests are normally flat cuboids which have been ground to homogenise the surface and remove any pre-existing features. However, there is a concern that these samples and exposures are not representative of service conditions, and so it is necessary to quantify the influence of transient conditions, such as heat flux, pressure and sample geometry/surface conditions. To address such concerns a new collaborative program of work was initiated to determine the influence of these added features on oxidation kinetics and oxide scale morphology. The overall aim was to improve the understanding of alloy performance in ultrasupercritical (USC) steam conditions and qualify suitable test procedures.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2022

VTO 2022 Annual Progress Report: Vertical GaN Device Development

This project is part of a multi-lab consortium that leverages U.S. research expertise and facilities at national labs and universities to significantly advance electric drive power density and reliability, while simultaneously reducing cost. The final objective of the consortium is to develop a 100 kW traction drive system that achieves 33 kW/L, has an operational life of 300,000 miles, and a cost of less than $\$$6/kW. One element of the system is a 100 kW inverter with a power density of 100 kW/L and a cost of $\$$2.7/kW. New materials such as wide bandgap semiconductors, soft magnetic materials, and ceramic dielectrics, integrated using multi-objective co optimization design techniques, will be utilized to achieve these program goals. This project focuses on a subset of the power electronics work within the consortium, specifically the design, fabrication, and evaluation of vertical GaN power devices suitable for automotive applications.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Nucleon and Nuclear Structure Studies in Electroproduction with the CLAS Detector at Jefferson Lab

A diverse program for studying the structure of nucleons and nuclei is underway using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at Jefferson Lab. A wealth of data has been obtained in inclusive, semi-inclusive, and exclusive electroproduction reactions using a variety of unpolarized and polarized beams and targets. The results include studies of excited nucleon states, measurements of nucleon, proton and neutron Form Factors (FFs), Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs), Transverse Momentum Distributions (TMDs), and Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs), as well as Short Range Correlations (SRCs) in nuclei and Color Transparency phenomena. Jefferson Lab's electron accelerator, CEBAF, doubled its energy to 12~GeV and the upgrade of the experimental equipment is near completion in the experimental halls. The upgraded CLAS detector, CLAS12, enables execution of a broader physics program, with the main focus on uncovering the TMDs and GPDs using semi-inclusive and exclusive reactions in a new kinematic domain. In this talk, an overview of the CLAS electroproduction measurements with 6~GeV CEBAF and prospects of nucleon and nuclear structure studies with the 12~GeV machine and the CLAS12 detector will be discussed.

Stepanyan, Stepan↗
DOE OSTI2023

Fundamental Structure/Property Studies of Gas Separation Membrane Polymers

Solution-processable polybenzimidazoles (PBIs) present opportunities for new gas separation membranes. We plan to develop systematic structure/property relations for this relatively new class of membrane materials. The fundamental questions we will address are: (1) How do chemical structure modifications of PBIs influence their gas solubility, diffusivity and permeability properties for a systematic series of gases? (2) Is the separation performance of PBIs affected by plasticization under operating conditions that are relevant to, for example, natural gas purification or olefin/paraffin separation and, if so, can this family of materials be tuned structurally to minimize deleterious effects of plasticization on separation properties? (3) What is the effect of water vapor on PBI separation performance? (4) What is the influence of physical aging on permeation properties of thin (i.e., <1 µm) PBI polymer films, and how does the rate of physical aging relate to polymer chemical structure? The primary focus of this research program is to develop a fundamental, molecular-based mechanistic understanding of the influence of chemical structure on the gas transport properties of PBIs and to establish structure/property relationships for this unique platform of materials.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2022

Nanoscale Environments for Catalysis

The focus of this research program was to exploit new nanoscale environments in semiconductors as catalytic sites for programming reaction chemistry. Under the support of this program, the Nuckolls group created materials as catalysts with three interwoven major goals: (1) to explore new types of reactivity that is initiated and directed by electric fields in devices; (2) to explore photoredox in thin films of cellular semiconductors; (3) to develop a deep and fundamental understanding of the mechanism and mode of action of these new catalytic systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Using Likwid and Byfl to Benchmark Hardware Performance [Poster]

Benchmark Study conducted focusing on CPU and program performance analysis. Performance data gathered using 2 different programs and comparisons made based on performance. After comparisons are made, conclusions can be drawn and improvements are made upon hardware and software.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Reevaluating the Thermal-Spectrum Molten Salt Breeder Reactor Fuel Cycle in a Modern Context [Slides]

Thermal-Spectrum Molten-Salt Breeder Reactors (TS-MSBRs) can have highly advantageous characteristics. There is potential for excellent safety, actinide resource utilization, proliferation resistance, waste generation, and exergy characteristics. Realizing advantageous characteristics derives from a combination of proper design/engineering and inherent properties. Grossly unacceptable properties are possible with poor design choices. TS-MSBR designs and technologies remain immature. The United States has not had a focused TS-MSBR program in nearly 50 years. TS-MSBRs have progressed due to: (1) technology development in related areas (fusion, materials, instrumentation); (2) general, worldwide molten-salt reactor (MSR) development activities; (3) molten-salt property measurement and evaluation; and (4) safety evaluation methods and performance-based, technology neutral licensing.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Clear Sky Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay Regional Policy Landscape Analysis (Florida Energy Resilience Policy Landscape) [Slides]

This deck focuses on policies and programs that may enable, constrain, or inform the deployment of solar and storage for resilience in the Tampa Bay Region. This deck also reviews planning approaches within the Tampa Bay Region to ensure that resources developed under the Clear Sky Tampa Bay project are consistent with established practice and relevant to regional practitioners.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Near-net shaping of high-density, complex, spatially-tailored ceramics for extreme environments

The purpose of this subcontract is for LLNL to collaborate with the Subcontractor (UCSB) in the areas of binder jet additive manufacturing (BJAM), hot pressing (HP), finite element modeling (FEM), and multi-material sintering studies. LLNL wants to further develop its hot pressing, AM, and modeling capabilities through LLNL’s Early Career Faculty Program. This work will focus on developing a method to hot press complex-shaped ceramic parts through the co-deposition of a structural/functional ceramic and sacrificial mold material in one assembly via multi-material binder jet printing. The method aims to produce dense, near-net shaped parts with applications relevant to a wide variety of fields including aerospace, defense, and energy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗