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103 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

TCCR Operational Summary and Optimization for Tank 9 Processing - 20314

Savannah River Remediation (SRR) manages and operates the liquid waste facilities at Savannah River Site (SRS) for the Department of Energy (DOE). Stored liquid waste is a complex mixture of insoluble solids (sludge) and soluble salts in an alkaline solution. SRR has deployed the Tank Closure Cesium Removal (TCCR) system, a tank-side ion exchange process, to remove radioactive cesium from salt waste and enable onsite disposal of the resulting decontaminated salt solution as low-level waste at the Saltstone facilities. The TCCR system consists of two prefilters, four ion exchange (IX) columns, one resin trap, and a ventilation system. The IX process uses a form of inorganic crystalline silicotitanate (CST), which has a high affinity for cesium and other alkali metals, strontium, and actinides. This process is currently deployed utilizing salt feed from Tank 10, with future plans to dissolve solid salt in Tank 9 and transfer the salt solution to Tank 10 for processing through TCCR. The feed for TCCR must be created from salt-cake in Tank 10 through a dissolution process. Once enough salt has been dissolved, a qualification process is entered. This process characterizes the feed and ensures the cesium loading on the columns will not cause boiling of waste within the columns during or after processing. Once the batch has been qualified, salt waste is fed to the TCCR system through a transfer pump in the center of the tank. The waste is filtered through a set of two shielded, dead-end prefilters that prevent solids buildup in the columns. The filtered salt solution then travels to the shielded IX columns, which can be operated individually or in series, where the cesium is sorbed on the CST media. The decontaminated salt solution (DSS) then travels through a resin trap and out of the module to Tank 11. TCCR has successfully processed approximately 795,000 L of Tank 10H radioactive salt waste over two batches to date. There has not yet been a system induced shutdown. The prefilters performed as expected with only minor degradation in recovery of differential pressure after a backflush sequence. The time between backflushes decreased as each batch reached the end of processing. The hydraulics in the IXCs mostly performed as expected at all flow rates, except for one IXC that will be further investigated during Batch 3 processing. The TCCR system has shown some opportunities for more efficient processing during the length of the demonstration so far. For future processing of material from Tank 9H through Tank 10H and the TCCR unit, TCCR 1A will implement changes to the prefilters and the IXCs. The prefilters will have an increased surface area and a new filter media in an effort to increase time between filter swaps and improve backwashing cleaning capability. The IXCs will have a reduced diameter to allow for increased heat transfer out of the column and increased loading of Cs-137. Additionally, a new form of CST with an increased kinetic performance is being investigated for use during TCCR 1A operation. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Qualification of Processing Batches for Tank Closure Cesium Removal Through In-Tank Batch Contact Testing - 20470

The Tank Closure Cesium Removal (TCCR) process at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is currently processing waste from Tank 10H, generating decontaminated salt solution that is sent to Tank 11H. Transfers out of Tank 11H are then disposed of on site as a grout wasteform in the SRS Saltstone Processing Facility. This is a full-scale demonstration of the use of Crystalline Silicotitanate (CST) for the decontamination of aqueous nuclear waste supernate. CST primarily removes cesium from the high sodium alkaline feed, but also adsorbs strontium, actinides, and some other trace metals. The TCCR unit is an at-tank set of four ion exchange columns, with two typically being operated in series during waste processing. Tank 10H is serving a dual function as both the salt dissolution tank as well as the feed tank for the TCCR system. Prior to operation of TCCR, Tank 10H must undergo dissolution campaigns, dissolving the salt cake to form an aqueous salt solution (supernate). After each dissolution campaign, the supernate created must be qualified prior to processing through the TCCR system. Qualification includes detailed characterization of the supernate as well as in-tank batch contact tests to determine the equilibrium loading of Cs-137 on the CST ion exchange media (IONSIV{sup TM} R9120-Ba). In support of the in-tank batch contact testing, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) developed a CST sample holder, also referred to as a 'tea-bag', to hold a measured amount (∼0.1 grams) of pretreated CST between stainless steel screens. The tea-bag fits within a standard stainless steel sample vial that has been modified to allow the flow of supernate to the CST. This sample holder is then immersed in the waste tank allowing free contact between the CST beads and the surrounding liquid, at an effectively infinite liquid-to-solid phase ratio. A pair of tea-bags are deployed in the tank for a period of 10 days for each batch, after which the CST is recovered, digested, and analyzed to determine the loading of cesium isotopes on the CST. This result then supports the TCCR column thermal loading limits for processing as part of the TCCR safety basis. This paper will discuss the design and testing of the CST sample holder, as well as results from the first few batches of waste qualified and subsequently processed through the TCCR system. In addition, results from analyses of Tank 11H samples, showing decontamination of the product will be included. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Characterization of Scintillating Crystal for High Energy Radiation Detection and Applications

Cesium Hafnium Chloride (Cs2Hfl6) is a promising metal halide scintillating detector due to its excellent characteristics such as non-hygroscopicity, high light yield without doping. Scintillators plays an important role in nuclear security applications as detectors at border monitoring stations. We grew and characterized CHC crystals to be fabricated for gamma detection. Photoluminescence was performed using the Duetta Fluorescence and Absorbance Spectrometer. The energy response to Cs-137 and Co-60 reference sources was recorded for a representative sodium iodide (NaI) scintillating detector.

Reeder, Angel↗
DOE OSTI2025

Characterization of Pinhole Collimators for High-Resolution Gamma Imaging of Irradiated Fuel

Post-irradiation examination (PIE) of nuclear fuels requires imaging tools capable of resolving isotopic and spatial features with high throughput. This project contributes to a proof-of-concept effort aimed at advancing gamma emission tomography (GET) by evaluating novel fine-aperture pinhole collimators. Two Rose’s metal collimators, 100 µm (20° acceptance angle) and 350 µm (30° acceptance angle), were prototyped and characterized for their effectiveness in transporting gamma rays through the pinhole aperture. To support data collection, a Python-based data acquisition system was developed to coordinate a rotation stage, linear stage, and CZT detector, reducing latency in high-rate gamma event logging to one second per acquisition. Queue-based file writing enabled seamless real-time data capture for count rates up to 35,000 counts per second (cps). List-mode parsing algorithms were implemented to differentiate single and simultaneous gamma interactions for future tomographic reconstruction. Detector response was evaluated in both spectroscopy and list mode acquisition methods across varying source distances to confirm absolute and collimator efficiencies. Preliminary efficiency figures suggest effective collimation of gamma-rays with energies below 700 keV, with ~4% residual intensity through the aperture for Cs-137. The impact of collimator geometry on image quality is currently being evaluated. This groundwork supports the ongoing development of a sub mm resolution cone-beam CT system for imaging fuel phantoms, an essential step toward improving GET efficiency and accelerating nuclear fuel qualification efforts.

46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AN↗
DOE OSTI2026

Tank 11H Low Temperature Aluminum Dissolution and Inhalation Dose Potential Analyses at Savannah River Site – 26018

Currently, there is approximately 34 million gallons of high-level radioactive tank waste in the Tank Farm at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The ultimate goal of operations at the Tank Farm is to remove the high level waste (HLW) from the tanks followed by stabilization of the waste through vitrification of the HLW into glass or grouting the decontaminated waste into saltstone. After bulk removal of the HLW consisting of sludge, saltcake, and supernatant, further efforts are made to reduce the residual waste present in the tank in order to declare preliminary cease waste removal (PCWR) signifying completion of HLW removal. These reduction efforts can include tank washing to remove soluble salts and radioisotopes and dissolution of solids including aluminum. Aluminum in the form of gibbsite and boehmite is relatively insoluble in water. Through addition of aqueous sodium hydroxide, the aluminum can be dissolved at mild temperatures. In order for the waste tank to meet closure mode requirements of the Concentration, Storage, and Transfer Facilities (CSTF), which includes the Tank Farm, Documented Safety Analysis (DSA), a component of the safety basis, the inhalation dose potential (IDP) and the radiolytic hydrogen generation rate of the stored waste must be demonstrated to be lower than their respective designated limits. These parameters are calculated from measured radiochemical analyses of isotopes that emit a high amount of radioactivity including Cs-137, Sr-90, Pu-238, Pu-239, Pu-240, Pu-241, Am-241, and Cm-244. Following the low temperature aluminum dissolution (LTAD) process, Tank 11H slurry samples were pulled from the tank and sent to Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to measure the extent of aluminum dissolution, hydroxide concentration, densities of slurry and supernatant, weight percent solids analyses, and radionuclide activities. The analyses of the composite sample found that approximately 90% of the total aluminum in the slurry was dissolved, indicating successful reduction of the insoluble aluminum in the waste tank. Additionally, the weight percent insoluble solids (slurry basis) measurement of the composite sample was found to be approximately 1%, demonstrating that minimal solids still remain in the tank. Finally, the radiochemical analyses of the composite sample determined that the waste contents of the tank met the IDP and radiolytic hydrogen generation rate requirements of the CSTF DSA. These measurements have shown that the LTAD process in Tank 11H was successful in waste reduction efforts and a positive step towards declaring PCWR and tank closure at SRS.

Dekarske, John [Savannah River National Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2023

Empirical evidence that mean soil contaminant concentration is not a conservative indicator of external exposure to wildlife

Adequate information on external exposure is often a limiting factor in ecological risk assessments because of a lack of exposure data for free-ranging animals as they interact with a heterogeneous distribution of contaminants. Instead, most wildlife exposure data are estimated from model simulations. However, empirical exposure data are rarely available to verify model results, or to test fundamental assumptions inherent in exposure assessments. We used novel, GPS-coupled radiation dosimeters on reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) to quantify their external exposure for five months in a Chernobyl fallout affected mountainous area of Norway. The exposure data were then used to test a fundamental assumption in screening-level risk assessments: Mean soil contaminant concentrations can be used to conservatively estimate chronic external exposures to representative animals. External exposure and GPS coordinates were obtained hourly and compared to model simulations of exposure based on airborne surveys of 137 Cs soil contamination. Our objectives were to determine 1) if modelled dose estimates based on mean 137 Cs soil concentrations were conservative, and 2) if modelled dose estimates could be improved by adjusting for spatial–temporal heterogeneity of contaminants using 137 Cs concentrations within reindeers’ GPS-defined home ranges and core areas. We found that external exposure modelled from mean soil contaminant concentrations underestimated exposure by 70% compared to empirical measurements from GPS-dosimeter collars worn on individual animals. Using area-weighted mean contaminant levels within the animals’ home range improved the model estimates, but still underestimated the field dosimeter data by 53%. The best estimate of external exposure was obtained when high-use areas within their home range, along with spatial heterogeneity of the contaminant, was accounted for by using area-weighted mean soil contaminant levels within GPS-derived core areas. Accounting for temporal use of core areas within animals’ home range provided a 24% improvement. Here, a comparison of our analyses to similar work performed on Chernobyl wolves found the two studies concur that risk assessors should be cautious in relying on the paradigm of using averaged soil contaminant levels to provide conservative estimates of external exposure to representative individuals. Results of modelled external exposure based on mean soil contaminant concentrations could misguide assessors and cause inappropriate management decisions.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Use of Constrained Gamma Emission Computed Tomography to Evaluate Fission Product Distributions in High-Temperature Materials from a TRISO Fuel Irradiation

An image reconstruction technique was developed to overcome problems with earlier methods of gamma emission computed tomography of graphite rings surrounding the AGR-3/4 TRISO fission product transport experiment. The profiles obtained from the tomography are compared with sampling done via radially resolved destructive sampling techniques. Generally, there is good agreement between profiles measured via destructive sampling of the rings and the tomographic profiles, though at low signal strengths, the tomographic profiles appear elevated.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Recommendations for harmonized reporting of radiation Dosimetry by adoption of Compatibility in Irradiation Research Protocols Expert Roundtable (CIRPER)

Here, in radiobiology, radiation physics, and related areas, there is growing interest in transitioning from cesium-based irradiators to X-ray technologies. Therefore, it makes it imperative for reproducibility purposes, for researchers to provide specifications regarding device parameters, machine calibration details, and experimental setup when innovative X-ray technology is being employed. Several groups have already identified a glaring lack in completeness of critical information on experimental setups, equipment, and physical parameters in published radiation biology studies. The Alternative Technologies Meta Study Report by Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) examined 456 manuscripts published between 2017-2021. Only 64 of the reviewed studies (14.0%) consistently reported methods that could allow for replication of their studies. However, 85% provided information on the manufacturer, the irradiator model and the absorbed radiation dose. Approximately 66% provided information on the energy spectra and the dose rate, but only one third disclosed the filter used. Less than 15% of the reviewed studies reported information on calibration and field geometry, specifically field size and distance from source, which are critical parameters in determining the absorbed radiation dose.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Comparison and calibration of dose delivered by 137 Cs and x-ray irradiators in mice

Objective. The Office of Radiological Security, U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, is implementing a radiological risk reduction program which seeks to minimize or eliminate the use of high activity radiological sources, including 137 Cs, by replacing them with non-radioisotopic technologies, such as x-ray irradiators. The main goal of this paper is to evaluate the equivalence of the dose delivered by gamma- and x-ray irradiators in mice using experimental measurements and Monte Carlo simulations. We also propose a novel biophantom as an in situ dose calibration method. Approach. We irradiated mouse carcasses and 3D-printed mouse biophantoms in a 137 Cs irradiator (Mark I-68) and an x-ray irradiator (X-Rad320) at three voltages (160 kVp, 225 kVp and 320 kVp) and measured the delivered radiation dose. A Geant4-based Monte Carlo model was developed and validated to provide a comprehensive picture of gamma- and x-ray irradiation in mice. Main Results. Our Monte Carlo model predicts a uniform dose delivered in soft-tissue for all the explored irradiation programs and in agreement with the absolute dose measurements. Our Monte Carlo model shows an energy-dependent difference between dose in bone and in soft tissue that decreases as photon energy increases. Dose rate depends on irradiator and photon energy. We observed a deviation of the measured dose from the target value of up to –9% for the Mark I-68, and up to 35% for the X-Rad320. The dose measured in the 3D-printed phantoms are equivalent to that in the carcasses within 6% uncertainty. Significance. Our results suggest that 320 kVp irradiation is a good candidate to substitute 137 Cs irradiation barring a few caveats. There is a significant difference between measured and targeted doses for x-ray irradiation that suggests a strong need for in situ calibration, which can be achieved with 3D-printed mouse biophantoms. A dose correction is necessary for bone doses, which can be provided by a Monte Carlo calculation. Lastly, the biological implications of the differences in dose rates and dose per photon for the different irradiation methods should be carefully assessed for each small-animal irradiation experiment.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Alternative Technologies Adopters Outreach Survey Report

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), in collaboration with Ioanna Iliopulos and Christopher Boyd (independent contractors), conducted quantitative and qualitative surveys to document views and opinions of scientists and researchers with firsthand experience operating x-ray devices for a wide range of research applications. The goal of the study was to fill critical information gaps and identify misconceptions widely held among the research community regarding the transition from Cesium-137 irradiators to x-ray devices. The survey instrument focused on three distinct yet interrelated areas that impact users' experience: operational impacts, including infrastructure needs, workflow, personnel management, and training, and regulatory compliance; research design and investigation impacts, including calibration, dosimetry, continuity of previous studies, development of new research agendas, and the outcomes for both; and funding impacts, specifically how grant sources and opportunities have responded to the transition.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI1969

Application of Nuclear Technology to Art Identification Problems: First Annual Report

Throughout the centuries, as man has become increasingly affluent, his interest in antiquities and objects of art, and the price he has been willing to pay for them, has increased. Inevitably, one result has been to attract the unscrupulous to the production and sale of counterfeit paintings, sculptures, and other works of art. The skill of forgers varies but often is highly sophisticated. However, dealers, museum curators, and other experts have also become more skillful in the detection of forgeries. Scientific tools of increasing sensitivity and sophistication have gradually been applied to the examination of the materials of art and archaeology. Such tools frequently support and render more reliable the judgment of the experts. The quality of forgeries may improve further as their makers become acquainted with the new methods of detection and in turn learn to circumvent or confound the methods. Therefore, the development of still more advanced methods of examination has great utility in the art world. This is particularly true if the ultimate effect is to make circumvention of the methods of examination so costly that the economic incentives for producing forgeries may be substantially reduced, if not eliminated.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗