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At least 1,333 records · Page 74

Subsoil organo-mineral associations under contrasting climate conditions

Climate differences can induce profound changes in organo-mineral associations in soils. However, the magnitude of these modifications, whether as a direct effect of climate conditions or an indirect effect through changes in soil mineralogy, are still not fully understood. In this study, we aimed to improve understanding of how climate and resultant changes in soil mineralogy affect subsoil (i.e., 0.4–0.9 m) organo-mineral interactions at the macro- and microscale. A set of subsoil samples were collected throughout an elevation gradient (approximately 1800 to 2400 mm precipitation year –1 and 15 to 24ºC) on Kohala Mountain, Hawaii. We carried out a combined approach of bulk soil analyses with mineral extractions and spectroscopic and spectromicroscopic analyses. Significant positive correlations (p < 0.05) between soil organic carbon (SOC) with extracted Fe and Al (dithionite citrate bicarbonate – DCB and ammonium oxalate – OX) at the bulk soil scale supported prior research showing concurrent decline of subsoil Fe, Al and SOC above a precipitation level of ~2000 - ~2200 mm year -1 . However, divergence in microscale organo-mineral associations identified using NanoSIMS allowed us to discern the relative roles of Fe and Al in promoting organo-mineral associations. At the lower precipitation range (~1800 mm year -1 ), the clay fraction < 2 µm showed higher amounts of organic matter (OM) co-localized with Fe & Al compared with the higher precipitation level (~2300 mm year -1 ), where OM was mostly unassociated or only associated with Al. While Fe contributed to approximately 40% of the microscale organo-mineral associations in the lower precipitation site (quantified by co-localizations with OM segments), this contribution at the higher rainfall regime was only 5%. In contrast, the contribution of Al was approximately the same in both rainfall levels (approximately 30%). Therefore, associations with Al may be more important than Fe for OM stabilization under reducing climate conditions. The normalized CN:C ratio based on individual pixels was found to be higher when co-localized with Al, Fe, or both, especially under the high precipitation regime. This fact points towards the importance of Fe and Al to stabilize more N-rich OM, especially at high rainfall levels. In addition, subsoil from higher rainfall conditions exhibited more reduced forms of Fe (assessed by Fe K-edge XANES) and lower proportions of carboxyl-C (5% lower in the relative abundance) as well as higher alkyl/O-alkyl ratios determined by CP-MAS 13C NMR. Such differences in composition may directly influence the organo-mineral associations at both locations, as differences in Fe reduction and the presence of carboxyl-C groups are recognized to play a role in OM stabilization. We conclude that spatial relationships between Fe and Al with SOC at the microscale show a shift towards Al-dominated SOC associations at higher precipitation that could not be ascertained from bulk measurements alone. Therefore, they are of fundamental importance to understand the impact of climate change on SOC stabilization.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

The solubility of thorium in carbonate-bearing solutions at hydrothermal conditions

Thorium mineralization is frequently hosted in carbonate-bearing rocks, and thorium commonly substitutes into the structures of carbonate-bearing minerals that have precipitated from or been modified by hydrothermal fluids. Given this common association, it is reasonable to consider the hypothesis that the presence of carbonate ligands in hydrothermal solutions promotes the transport of Th through the formation of stable aqueous complexes. Our ability to evaluate this hypothesis, however, is hindered by the lack of experimental data for Th-carbonate species at conditions beyond ambient. The low-temperature data indicate that carbonate is a strong complexing agent for Th. In this contribution, we investigate the solubility of Th in carbonate-bearing fluids relevant to natural systems (0.05–0.5 m NaHCO 3 /Na 2 CO 3 ; pH T ~ 7.8–9.8) at elevated temperature (175–250 °C). We demonstrate that, in contrast to the behavior of Th at low temperature, the stability of Th-carbonate complexes is not sufficient for them to predominate at these conditions. Instead, the solubility of Th is governed by hydrolysis reactions. Under the experimental conditions investigated, the predominant hydroxyl complexes are Th(OH) 4 0 and Th(OH) 5 -. Furthermore, thermodynamic formation constants were derived for these species at the temperatures considered in our experiments (log β 4 = 43.34 and 44.31 at 175 and 200 °C, respectively, and log β 5 = 46.15 and 47.9 at 225 and 250 °C, respectively) to permit forward modeling of Th mobility in natural systems. Our study indicates that carbonate ions are unlikely to play a role in transporting Th in hydrothermal fluids. Summarizing the results of this study and our previous studies of the solubility of Th in hydrothermal fluids, we conclude that SO 4 2- is the primary ligand responsible for the hydrothermal transport of Th.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Machine learning assisted bayesian inference of mix and hot-spot conditions in NIF implosions

Experiments on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) have provided clear evidence of ablator material mixing into the Hot-Spot, leading to degraded performance. However, inferring the amount of mix and Hot-Spot conditions from typical experimental observations (e.g. x-ray spectra and images) is highly challenging. Here, we have developed an analysis method that utilizes machine learning assisted Bayesian inference to find the probability distributions of the Hot-Spot and mix conditions. This approach uses a neural network, trained on an idealized 2-dimensional representation of the Hot-Spot and mix distribution, and Bayesian inference to find the statistical distributions of Hot-Spot conditions that provide a match with observations. We have tested this method with synthetic data from simulations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Feasibility study for test rig assessments of fish passage conditions in a Kaplan turbine

The assessment of fish passage conditions in hydroelectric turbines consists of identifying and quantifying physical magnitudes leading to increased risks of injury of fish passing through turbines in operation. Such assessments are usually carried out either with the use of computer-based methods during design or with field testing of live fish and sensors passing through prototypes. A method in between consists of test rig experimentation, which is critical for testing fish-focused design concepts and offers the opportunity for implementing the most effective design measures for improved fish survivability. However, fish-related assessments in test rigs are not sufficiently documented for industrial applications. This work presents the main findings of an experimental campaign to quantify fish-related hydraulic magnitudes in a physical model of a Kaplan turbine in a commercial test rig. Two operating conditions were tested by releasing miniaturized autonomous sensor devices (termed Sensor Fish Mini) at the turbine intake flow, passing them through the runner in motion and recovering them at the draft tube exit. During passage, time series of acceleration, absolute pressure and rotational velocity were recorded. The recordings were then interpreted to determine the magnitude and likely location of hydraulic stressors hazardous to fish. The statistical tests on the reported measurements indicated that low pressure, collisions on the runner and rotations in the draft tube were not different between the two tested operating points. On the other hand, pressure drop and collision rates on the distributor differed considerably as a function of net head. The outcomes of this investigation showed that test rig evaluations of fish-related properties with Sensor Fish Mini can contribute to an evidence-based development of turbine geometries designed for providing safer passage conditions. Future work will investigate the scaling of test rig measurements to hydraulically equivalent magnitudes in the prototype and their biological consequences.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

Hypervelocity impact flash expansion geometry under various spacecraft surface electrical conditions

A more congested space environment due to increasing space activities introduces new threats to spacecraft operators. Among these threats include hypervelocity impacts from microparticles (< 1 µg) in the form of meteoroids and space debris. These microparticles travel at speeds between 11.2 and 72.8 km/s with respect to the Earth and can impact spacecraft forming a small (~1 µm) and dense (~ 10 26 m -3 ) plasma. This plasma can generate a strong optical emission (impact flash) and a radio frequency (RF) emission. These emissions can lead to spacecraft electrical anomalies when the impacted spacecraft surface (target) carries high electrical potential due to various space weather effects. To understand the microparticle hypervelocity impact plasma and its associated threat to spacecraft electronics, we studied the hypervelocity impact flash expansion geometry under various spacecraft surface electrical conditions. Three high-speed broadband photomultiplier tubes (PMT) are used to capture the temporal evolution of the impact flash and the temporal evolution of the angular distribution of the impact flash expansion geometry in a 3 MV electrostatic dust accelerator during a ground-based experiment. Overall, results indicate that the impact surface electrical condition has a statistically significant influence on the impact flash geometry, and a strong similarity between the impact plasma and flash expansion geometry. Thus, this paper provides new experimental support for the impact flash origin from and connection with the impact plasma, and serves as the first impact flash expansion geometry characterization under various impact surface electrical conditions in a collisionless environment (< 10 -5 Torr).

42 ENGINEERING↗

CFD unified approach under Eulerian–Lagrangian framework for methanol and gasoline direct injection sprays in evaporative and flash boiling conditions

Innovative synthetic fuels for advanced propulsion systems, such as methanol and ammonia, and synthetic blended fuels (E00, E10, and E30), known for their high volatility, are often injected directly into combustion chambers. It follows that Eulerian–Lagrangian spray models need to accurately capture the spray collapse as a consequence of flash boiling onset and be capable of proficiently handling the preferential evaporation of multi-component fuels in evaporative scenarios. So, we performed the assessment of an Eulerian–Lagrangian CFD code for simulating methanol and E00 gasoline blend sprays in both early and late injection conditions involving flash boiling conditions and preferential evaporation. The adoption of an effervescent breakup model and of a non-equilibrium phase transition model for the discrete phase allows the adoption of a setup that is almost completely free from specific constant tuning, especially for what concerns the breakup model. We validated the simulations using experimental PLV maps of methanol and E00 sprays issued from the ECN Spray M injector. The results highlight a significantly different morphology of the methanol spray compared to the E00 one under late injection conditions. Under stratified combustion, low-volatile fuels are likely to be ignited first, and the flame propagates toward the high-volatile fuels. In conclusion, the spray collapse was also correctly reproduced, inducing the presence of a low-pressure zone and modifying the spray morphology.

E00↗

Three-dimensional modeling and simulations of single-crystal and bi-crystal titanium for high-strain-rate loading conditions

High purity single crystal titanium (Ti) under shock wave loading is modeled under both one-dimensional and three-dimensional cylindrical conditions. Cylinder sizes of 10 μm and 20 μm radius are both considered in order to assess influence of boundary conditions. A thermodynamically consistent single crystal model for application to shock conditions is presented. The model accounts for the coupled non-linear elastic, dislocation slip, deformation twinning, and structural phase transformation response of the titanium material. Plate impact experiment results using a copper flyer are used to compare against the simulations for crystals oriented in [0001] and [10$\overline1$1] crystallographic directions. The one-dimensional and threedimensional simulations of the two differently oriented single crystals indicate differences between the one-dimensional and three-dimensional representation, especially for the [10$\overline1$1] oriented single crystal. This orientation breaks the relative orientation symmetry between the crystal and cylinder which otherwise exists for the [0001] oriented single crystal. A significant amount of heterogeneity in the field response of the[10$\overline1$1] oriented simulation was demonstrated due to the highly coupled nature of the deformation. A bi-crystal model composed of both the [0001] and [10$\overline1$1] orientations with the boundary between the two along the axis of the cylinder is also considered for a cylinder model size of 10 μm. The results indicate a strong interaction between the two grains that affects the ω phase volume fraction achieved relative to the single crystal calculations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Severe Pulmonary Toxicity After Myeloablative Conditioning Using Total Body Irradiation: An Assessment of Risk Factors

Purpose: To assess factors associated with severe pulmonary toxicity after myeloablative conditioning using total body irradiation (TBI) followed by allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Methods and Materials: A total of 101 adult patients who underwent TBI-based myeloablative conditioning for hematologic malignancies at Duke University between 1998 and 2008 were reviewed. TBI was combined with high-dose cyclophosphamide, melphalan, fludarabine, or etoposide, depending on the underlying disease. Acute pulmonary toxicity, occurring within 90 days of transplantation, was scored using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0. Actuarial overall survival and the cumulative incidence of acute pulmonary toxicity were calculated via the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using a log-rank test. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to assess factors independently associated with acute severe pulmonary toxicity. Results: The 90-day actuarial risk of developing severe (Grade 3-5) pulmonary toxicity was 33%. Actuarial survival at 90 days was 49% in patients with severe pulmonary toxicity vs. 94% in patients without (p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, the number of prior chemotherapy regimens was the only factor independently associated with development of severe pulmonary toxicity (odds ratio, 2.7 per regimen). Conclusions: Severe acute pulmonary toxicity is prevalent after TBI-based myeloablative conditioning regimens, occurring in approximately 33% of patients. The number of prior chemotherapy regimens appears to be an important risk factor.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Similar Survival for Patients Undergoing Reduced-Intensity Total Body Irradiation (TBI) Versus Myeloablative TBI as Conditioning for Allogeneic Transplant in Acute Leukemia

Purpose: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the mainstay of treatment for adults with acute leukemia. Total body irradiation (TBI) remains an important part of the conditioning regimen for HCST. For those patients unable to tolerate myeloablative TBI (mTBI), reduced intensity TBI (riTBI) is commonly used. In this study we compared outcomes of patients undergoing mTBI with those of patients undergoing riTBI in our institution. Methods and Materials: We performed a retrospective review of all patients with acute leukemia who underwent TBI-based conditioning, using a prospectively acquired database of HSCT patients treated at our institution. Patient data including details of the transplantation procedure, disease status, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), response rates, toxicity, survival time, and time to progression were extracted. Patient outcomes for various radiation therapy regimens were examined. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results: Between June 1985 and July 2012, 226 patients with acute leukemia underwent TBI as conditioning for HSCT. Of those patients, 180 had full radiation therapy data available; 83 had acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 94 had acute myelogenous leukemia; 45 patients received riTBI, and 135 received mTBI. Median overall survival (OS) was 13.7 months. Median relapse-free survival (RFS) for all patients was 10.2 months. Controlling for age, sex, KPS, disease status, and diagnosis, there were no significant differences in OS or RFS between patients who underwent riTBI and those who underwent mTBI (P=.402, P=.499, respectively). Median length of hospital stay was shorter for patients who received riTBI than for those who received mTBI (16 days vs 23 days, respectively; P<.001), and intensive care unit admissions were less frequent following riTBI than mTBI (2.22% vs 12.69%, respectively, P=.043). Nonrelapse survival rates were also similar (P=.186). Conclusions: No differences in OS or RFS were seen between all patients undergoing riTBI and those undergoing mTBI, despite older age and potential increased comorbidity of riTBI patients. riTBI regimens were associated with shorter length of hospital stay, fewer intensive care unit admissions, and similar rates of nonrelapse survival, which may reflect reduced toxicity. Prospective trials comparing riTBI and mTBI are warranted.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Tracking the phase changes in micelle-based NiGa nanocatalysts for methanol synthesis under activation and working conditions

The hydrogenation of CO 2 into high energy density fuels such as methanol, where the required H 2 is obtained from renewable sources, is of utmost importance for a sustainable society. In recent years, NiGa alloys have attracted attention as promising catalyst material systems for the hydrogenation of CO 2 into methanol at ambient pressures. They thus represent an energy-saving alternative to the Cu-based catalysts employed in today's catalytic industry that require high pressures for the CO 2 hydrogenation. However, the underlying reaction mechanisms for the NiGa system are still under debate. One of the challenges here is to unravel the evolution and coexistence of the different species in the heterogeneous NiGa catalyst system under activation and reaction conditions. To shed light on their evolution under activation in H 2 and their catalytic roles under CO 2 hydrogenation working conditions on well-defined Ni 3 Ga 1 and Ni 5 Ga 3 nanoparticle (NP) catalysts, we employed a multi-probe approach in this study. It included advanced machine learning-based analysis of operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy data combined with operando powder X-ray diffraction and near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, as well as reactivity studies using bed-packed mass flow reactors. In addition, we employed atomic force microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy for structural characterization. Under H 2 activation at 1 bar total pressure, we concluded the formation of metallic Ni, starting for Ni 3 Ga 1 at 300 °C, and for Ni 5 Ga 3 at 400 °C. At higher temperatures, the formation of NiGa alloys follows. The α'-Ni 3 Ga 1 alloy phase is predominantly formed for the Ni 3 Ga 1 NPs, while the coexistence of α'-Ni 3 Ga 1 , δ-Ni 5 Ga 3 and Ga 2 O 3 phases is observed for the Ni 5 Ga 3 NPs after the H 2 activation. The formation of the Ga 2 O 3 phase also results in the presence of excess metallic Ni. Under CO 2 hydrogenation reaction conditions, Ga partially oxidizes again to form a Ga 2 O 3 -rich particle shell for both NP compositions, yet, to a larger extent for the Ni 3 Ga 1 NPs, which, in turn, feature a higher amount of excess Ni. We reveal that metallic Ni is responsible for the high selectivity of the Ni 3 Ga 1 NPs towards the production of methane in our catalytic tests. In contrast, the Ni 5 Ga 3 NPs display a strong selectivity toward methanol production (>92%), more than one order of magnitude higher than that for the Ni 3 Ga 1 NPs, which we ascribe to the presence of the δ-Ni 5 Ga 3 phase.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Hybrid preconditioning for iterative diagonalization of ill-conditioned generalized eigenvalue problems in electronic structure calculations

The iterative diagonalization of a sequence of large ill-conditioned generalized eigenvalue problems is a computational bottleneck in quantum mechanical methods employing a nonorthogonal basis for ab initio electronic structure calculations. We propose a hybrid preconditioning scheme to effectively combine global and locally accelerated preconditioners for rapid iterative diagonalization of such eigenvalue problems. In partition-of-unity finite-element (PUFE) pseudopotential density-functional calculations, employing a nonorthogonal basis, we show that the hybrid preconditioned block steepest descent method is a cost-effective eigensolver, outperforming current state-of-the-art global preconditioning schemes, and comparably efficient for the ill-conditioned generalized eigenvalue problems produced by PUFE as the locally optimal block preconditioned conjugate-gradient method for the well-conditioned standard eigenvalue problems produced by planewave methods.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Super-time-stepping schemes for parabolic equations with boundary conditions

In this work, we present a super-time-stepping scheme for numerically solving parabolic partial differential equations with Dirichlet boundary conditions (BC). Using the general Forward Euler scheme, one can show that by taking varying step sizes there is the potential of propagating the solution forward in time by a greater amount than with uniform step sizes, while maintaining the same order of accuracy. As shown in previous works, if one further requires that the scheme have the Convex Monotone Property (CMP), then there exists a scheme which results in linear, monotone stability of the solution. This monotone stability is highly desirable in many physical situations, such as thermal diffusion, where the physical system will not oscillate, but will behave monotonically. However, the schemes devised in previous works do not include situations that have a boundary condition, and the inclusion of boundary conditions will henceforth be our focus. It is shown that a particular Runge-Kutta-Gegenbauer class of schemes [5] will maintain the CMP even in the presence of Dirichlet BC.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Data-driven prediction of geometry- and toolpath sequence-dependent intra-layer process conditions variations in laser powder bed fusion

Geometrical features and toolpath sequence are two important factors that cause process condition variations, such as variations in the meltpool temperature or meltpool size, that might lead to undesired material properties in the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process. Due to the high dynamics and complex physics of the LPBF process, it is difficult to predict variations in process conditions with simulations alone. Advances in measurement technology and computational technologies open up new possibilities for smart manufacturing. In this paper, a data-driven method to predict intra-layer variations in the processing conditions that source from the toolpath sequence and part geometry is presented. The approach is demonstrated using two-color on-axis pyrometer measurements. Three demonstration cases are presented in which it is demonstrated (1) how the trained predictive model can be used as a filter to ease the interpretation of process variations and discover patterns related to toolpath and part geometry, and (2) how to generate predictions that can be used for feedforward control, i.e., for adjusting laser power or scanning speed along the toolpath using a meltpool temperature prediction model generated based on on-axis measurements. Results show that the developed prediction model is able to meaningfully predict process variations resulted from toolpath sequence and geometry. Predictions are aligned with the results from the related work of others and for the case of 180° laser path turnarounds in our high-speed X-ray imaging experiments. In conclusion, the potential issues related to the current maturity status of the process and measuring equipment that could in practice affect the performance of the proposed solutions are also discussed.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Empirically assessing the potential release of rare earth elements from black shale under simulated hydraulic fracturing conditions

Rare earth elements (REEs) are economically important to modern society and the rapid growth of technologies dependent on REEs has placed considerable economic pressure on their sourcing. This study addresses whether REEs could be released as a byproduct of natural gas extraction from a series of experiments that were designed to simulate hydraulic fracturing of black shale under various pressure (25 and 27.5 MPa) and temperature (50, 90, 130 °C) conditions. The dissolved REEs in the reacted fluids displayed no propensity for the REEs to be released from black shale under high pressure and temperature conditions, a result that is consistent across the different types of fluids investigated. Overall, there was a net loss of REEs from the fluid. These changes in dissolved REEs were greatest at the moment the fluids first contacted the shale and before the high temperature and high pressure conditions were imposed, although the magnitude of these changes (10 -4 μg/g) were small compared to the magnitude of the total REE content present in the solid shale samples (10 2 μg/g). These results highlight the variability and complexity of hydraulic fracturing systems and indicate that REE may not serve as robust tracers for fracturing fluid-shale reactions. Additionally, the results suggest that significant quantities of REEs may not be byproducts of hydraulically fractured shales.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Multiscale modeling of fission gas behavior in U 3 Si 2 under LWR conditions

In this work, we present a model of fission gas behavior in U 3 Si 2 under light water reactor (LWR) conditions for application in engineering fuel performance codes. The model includes components for intra-granular and inter-granular behavior of fission gases. The intra-granular component is based on cluster dynamics and computes the evolution of intra-granular fission gas bubbles and swelling coupled to gas diffusion to grain boundaries. The inter-granular component describes the evolution of grain-boundary fission gas bubbles coupled to fission gas release. Given the lack of experimental data for U 3 Si 2 under LWR conditions, the model is informed with parameters calculated via atomistic simulations. In particular, we derive fission gas diffusivities through density functional theory calculations, and the re-solution rate of fission gas atoms from intra-granular bubbles through binary collision approximation calculations. Further, the developed model is applied to the simulation of an experiment for U 3 Si 2 irradiated under LWR conditions available from the literature. Results point out a credible representation of fission gas swelling and release in U 3 Si 2 . Finally, we perform a sensitivity analysis for the various model parameters. Based on the sensitivity analysis, indications are derived that can help in addressing future research on the characterization of the physical parameters relative to fission gas behavior in U 3 Si 2 . The developed model is intended to provide a suitable infrastructure for the engineering scale calculation of fission gas behavior in U 3 Si 2 that exploits a multiscale approach to fill the experimental data gap and can be progressively improved as new lower-length scale calculations and validation data become available.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Dynamics of deuterium retention and desorption from plasma-facing materials in fusion reactor-relevant conditions

Hydrogen isotopes retention and desorption during and after discharges in fusion devices are still not well understood due to the complex device conditions and limitations of in-situ diagnostics and measurements. Here, we simulated well-diagnosed recent experiments at the DIII-D facility to benchmark our ITMC-DYN integrated package of modeling deuterium diffusion, retention, and desorption during and after D discharge irradiation. Modeling results were compared with detail experimental data of D desorption fluxes for various irradiation conditions. We predicted the temporal evolution of free and trapped D distribution in tungsten (W) plasma-facing material (PFM). Effects of key parameters namely diffusion coefficient, recombination rate, trapping energies against different defect types, were examined in these simulations. Existing experimental data of these parameters in literature varies significantly which makes it harder to identify key mechanisms and physics responsible for hydrogen isotope retention and desorption. The purpose of this work is to accurately simulate recent well-diagnosed reactor experiments given the uncertainties in such parameters and identify mechanisms responsible for the retention and desorption. We implemented the best identified diffusion, recombination, and trapping parameters in ITMC-DYN package that integrate both various collisional and thermal processes. We predicted, for example, that sample cooling between discharges in DIII-D operations can significantly affect the spatial distribution of trapped D in W under reactor irradiation conditions. Correct prediction of desorption spectra from samples irradiated during 10 DIII-D discharges showed that up to 35% of D can be retained in high binding energy defects such as vacancy clusters or voids.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Verification of Bison fission product species conservation under TRISO reactor conditions

When assessing the reliability and predictive capabilities of a simulation tool, code verification is used to ensure that the implemented numerical algorithm is a faithful representation of its underlying mathematical model, including partial differential or integral equations, initial and boundary conditions, and auxiliary relationships. During this process, numerical results in a discrete solution are compared to the analytical solution of the mathematical model. Here, in this paper, the code verification process is applied to one-dimensional spatiotemporal problems that exercise partial differential equation governing the conservation of fission product species (or mass diffusion). Numerical experiments were performed in the Bison fuel performance code to evaluate its predictive capability under various TRISO reactor conditions such as base irradiation and safety heating test conditions for either short- or long-lived fission product species, as well as a case concerning evaporation from the outer surface of a particle. The code predictions were compared with the expected exact results obtained from the analytical expressions, and the fact that they demonstrate the correct analytical behavior provides strong evidence of proper numerical algorithm implementation.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Evaluating transient fission gas release in high burnup light water reactor fuel during loss of coolant accident conditions via new capabilities

In this work, the role of transient fission gas release (tFGR) in the cladding burst behavior of high burnup fuel during a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) in commercial light water reactors was further investigated via the use of a new apparatus. During the LOCA-related temperature ramps of high burnup fuel, the release of fission gases exceeds the steady-state release observed under normal operating conditions. An enhancement was made to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Severe Accident Test Station (SATS) to probe the various factors influencing tFGR. Experiments were performed on commercially irradiated, zirconium-clad uranium dioxide fuel, and this paper details the design of the experimental setup, the initial test results, and the subsequent post-test analyses. Notably, the first test on high burnup fuel demonstrated a LOCA-relevant tFGR of 5.3% from an unpressurized fuel segment. The ultimate tFGR was 10.7% for beyond LOCA conditions. A follow-up test on similar fuel revealed a tFGR of 12.6% under comparable conditions. Microstructural analysis and an analysis of the released gas provide some insight regarding the source of tFGR in the fuel. Finally, a grain boundary bubble model may aid in the interpretation of the results and offer a guide for future work.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗