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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED SECURITY AND SAFETY MONITORING SYSTEM FOR SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND HIGH-LEVEL WASTE TRANSPORTATION

This paper provides an overview of the progress to date, and discussion of the path forward, related to designing, fabricating, and testing an integrated security and safety monitoring system (ISSMS) for railcars used to transport spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in the United States. The system will comply with the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Order 460.2B “Departmental Materials Transportation Management” and the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) standard S-2043 “Performance Specification for Trains Used to Carry High-level Radioactive Material” [1] developed specifically for railcars used to transport high-level radioactive material (HLRM). DOE is in the process of developing and testing an ISSMS that will satisfy both DOE requirements and AAR standards. DOE has already developed railcar designs for transportation of HLRM. In 2024, DOE’s Atlas railcar project completed the design, fabrication and testing of three railcar types: transportation cask-carrying, buffer, and security escort, resulting in AAR conditional approval to operate on freight rail networks in North America. DOE decided to combine the required security and safety systems into one system, and this combined system is the subject of the current effort. DOE is developing and proposes to implement the ISSMS for these railcars as part of the build out of the railcar fleet. DOE began planning for development of the ISSMS in February 2020. The project is divided into seven phases starting with conceptual design and continuing through production design, as shown in Figure 1. An earlier version of the system was tested as part of the Atlas railcar consist demonstration test run in 2023. This paper describes the design features and system testing using the Atlas project railcars, and laboratory testing completed to date. The paper will also describe the activities planned to support the DOE project to ship the High Burn-Up Research Cask (HBRC) in 2027.

Schultze, Michael [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000283205671)↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Multiscale Investigation of the Mechanisms Controlling Materials Degradation in the Fusion Energy Environment (DE-SC0006661: Final Report)

Realizing the promise of fusion as a commercially attractive energy source requires the development of advanced structural materials capable of sustained operation in an incredibly hostile environment. The fusion environment presents many challenges associated with high cyclic thermal-mechanical loadings, welding and joining disparate materials, and achieving chemical compatibility with coolants and tritium breeders. Yet, the overarching concern is the degradation of physical and mechanical properties, resulting from a neutron energy spectrum peaked at 14 MeV. The high-energy fusion neutron irradiation produces both displacement damage and high levels of hydrogen and helium through transmutation reactions. Advanced materials development for use in such a hostile environment is predicated on understanding the underlying mechanisms responsible for physical and material property degradation. This project has closely combined computational, theoretical and experimental techniques within a multiscale materials science paradigm to determine the mechanisms controlling material degradation in the fusion environment.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Overview of Nuclear Materials Discovery & Qualification initiative (NMDQi)

The Nuclear Materials Discovery and Qualification Initiative (NMDQi) is a program launched in 2020 to address the need for development of new nuclear materials on shorter timelines. The NMDQi has a goal to accelerate nuclear materials qualification to fulfill the promises of early and advanced reactor technologies as a safe, clean, and low-cost baseload energy. Materials development and qualification in the nuclear industry is by definition challenging due to stringent safety requirements, limited availability of specialized facilities for materials irradiation and testing, and the challenging high-temperature, high-radiation environment. Outside the nuclear industry, options exist for increasing the efficiency and rate of materials discovery for accelerated technology commercialization, which can also be applied for our use through the NMDQi. Focus will be on generating tools and capabilities that integrate experimental and computational techniques, allowing materials to be selected prior to fabrication, and providing crucial data to improve upon modeling.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Materials for Gamma Radiation Sensors

Sensors used for spectroscopic measurements of gamma radiation are most often scintillator or semiconductor materials. An overview is provided in this chapter on the materials and development techniques used in producing spectroscopic gamma radiation sensors. Challenges that prevent a perfect sensor are discussed along with the reasons why some sensor materials are ubiquitous despite their performance limitations. The types of sensors commonly used as detectors are discussed along with their key physical properties and electronic characteristics. Materials commonly utilized in radiation detectors are then reviewed to highlight how sensor materials have advanced since the earliest gamma detectors were developed

Johns, Paul M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Development and Application of Microfabricated Chemical Gas Sensors For Aerospace Applications

Aerospace applications require the development of chemical sensors with capabilities beyond those of commercially available sensors. In particular, factors such as minimal sensor size, weight, and power consumption are particularly important. Development areas which have potential aerospace applications include launch vehicle leak detection, engine health monitoring and control, and fire detection. Sensor development for these applications is based on progress in three types of technology: 1) Micromachining and microfabrication (Microsystem) technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors. 2) The use of nanocrystalline materials to develop sensors with improved stability combined with higher sensitivity. 3) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. Sensor development for each application involves its own challenges in the fields of materials science and fabrication technology. This paper discusses the needs of space applications and the point-contact sensor technology being developed to address these needs. Sensors to measure hydrogen, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides (Nox, carbon monoxide, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are being developed. A description is given of each sensor type and its present stage of development. Demonstration and application these sensor technologies will be described. The demonstrations range from use of a microsystem based hydrogen sensor on the Shuttle to engine demonstration of a nanocrystalline based sensor for NO, detection. It is concluded that microfabricated sensor technology has significant potential for use in a range of aerospace applications.

Hunter, G. W.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Development of the seeding system used for laser velocimeter surveys of the NASA Low-Speed Centrifugal Compressor flow field

An atomizer-based system for distributing high-volume rates of seed material was developed to support laser velocimeter investigations of the NASA Low-Speed Centrifugal Compressor flow field. The seeding system and the major concerns that were addressed during its development are described. Of primary importance were that the seed material be dispersed as single particles and that the liquid carrier used be completely evaporated before entering the compressor.

Wasserbauer, Charles A.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Development of Cost-Competitive Advanced Thermoelectric Generators for Direct Conversion of Vehicle Waste Heat into Useful Electrical Power

General Motors LLC (GM) proposed a project to develop a cost-effective thermoelectric generator (TEG) that is fully integrated into a GM production light-duty vehicle. The project goal was to reduce automotive energy consumption and CO 2 emissions by generating usable electricity from exhaust gas waste heat. The project objectives were to overcome the major obstacles to TEG commercialization and demonstrate 5% fuel economy improvement over the US06 drive cycle. We investigated electrical and thermal management strategies that included: (1) reducing electrical accessory load on the alternator using thermoelectric (TE) generated power; (2) shifting engine-driven accessories to electrical drive to raise the electrical accessory load consumption; (3) attempting to use the excess electrical power for something other than the vehicle electrical load e.g., propulsion (optimal for hybrids); and (4) implementing fast engine/transmission warm-up during cold-start. We developed a TEG system and all vehicle controls and electrical systems for full vehicle integration. The TEG system was modeled and analyzed for performance and cost. Heat exchangers and thermal interfaces between heat exchangers and TE modules were optimized for TE performance. Other objectives of the project were to (1) further optimize compositions and processing parameters for TE materials, (2) develop suitable diffusion barriers, interfaces electrical interconnections, and thermal contacts within TE modules, (3) implement adequate protection of TE materials and modules from degradation during operation, and (4) develop manufacturing and assembly processes for large scale production of TE materials and components that include scale-up plans for the production of 100,000 TEG units per year.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2021

BATPAC--VERSION 5.0

Argonne National Laboratory has worked on electrochemical energy storage for several decades. The focus on lithium-ion chemistries started in the early 1990s, developing new materials, synthesis methods, and performance characterizations. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Office (DOE-EERE-VTO), Argonne has led with many advances. The experimental activities were complemented with multi-scale modeling that ranged from the atomic to the system (manufacturing processes and automobiles) level. The Battery Performance and Cost (BatPaC) model is a calculation method based on Microsoft¿ Office Excel spreadsheets that have been developed at Argonne for estimating the performance and manufacturing cost of lithium-ion batteries for electric-drive vehicles including hybrid-electrics (HEV), plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and pure electrics. The effort is being funded by the Vehicle Technology Office (VTO), which is part of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) office of the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE). BatPaC was first developed in 2007, was subsequently peer-reviewed, and it has served Argonne researchers and the greater battery community in studying the impact of material properties on performance at the pack level. With further developments, the model now allows the design of cells and battery packs for automotive applications, to meet performance requirements (power, energy, recharge time), and estimates the cost of manufacturing the designed batteries. Since the cost depends on the materials he design, and the manufacturing process, this bottom-up model/tool enables the user to study their effects. Designed or the lithium-ion cell and battery researcher, BatPaC helps answer many questions by being 1.Transparent in the assumptions made and the method of calculation 2.Capable of designing a battery specifically for the requirements of an application 3.Constrained by the physical limitations that govern battery performance 4. A bottom-up calculation approach to account for every cost factors. BatPaC predicts the impact of promising materials (and their properties) on the performance metrics relevant for the different applications. Researchers can use the specific capacities and the half-cell voltages of a particular set of electrode materials to calculate the mass and volume of a cell to develop a model incorporating the properties of all the other materials in the cell and the design of the cell enclosure. These calculations not only reveal the impact of an improved material but also enable researchers to calculate the material properties that would be needed to meet the performance criteria of a full battery pack. With this information, researchers can provide he battery industry with realistic expectations that will help it more successfully advance novel battery technologies an Applications.

AHMED, SHABBIR↗
DOE OSTI2018

Estimating Precommercial Heterogeneous Catalyst Price: A Simple Step-Based Method

Developers of novel catalysts often have limited access to information on the costs of their catalytic materials. The R&D and commercialization decisions made by these researchers would benefit from cost estimates that are accurate and directly comparable to the prices of incumbent catalytic materials, but developing such estimates requires detailed knowledge of industrial synthesis methods and their costs. In order to address one critical part of this need for cost information, namely, the capital and operating costs of using catalyst manufacturing process equipment, a simple and researcher-accessible 'step method' is described herein. This method is based on the estimating techniques that contract manufacturers of industrial catalysts use to develop price quotes for their services. It allows the development of an estimate of catalyst synthesis costs by selection of individual processing steps from a list. Data and methods to allow estimation of processing cost via the step method are provided for synthesis quantities of 1-1000 tons. Price estimates for three example materials, including Pt/C, Ni/Al 2 O 3 , and fluid catalytic cracking catalysts, are described in detail and shown to compare favorably (within +/-20%) with market prices for those materials. Lastly, the step method is placed in the context of a forthcoming free and publicly available catalyst cost estimation tool that will incorporate raw materials pricing, dedicated catalyst plants for higher-volume syntheses, spent catalyst value, and other features.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
NASA NTRS2006

Development of Standardized Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials

Lunar exploration requires scientific and engineering studies using standardized testing procedures that ultimately support flight certification of technologies and hardware. It is necessary to anticipate the range of source materials and environmental constraints that are expected on the Moon and Mars, and to evaluate in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) coupled with testing and development. We describe here the development of standardized lunar regolith simulant (SLRS) materials that are traceable inter-laboratory standards for testing and technology development. These SLRS materials must simulate the lunar regolith in terms of physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties. A summary of these issues is contained in the 2005 Workshop on Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials [l]. Lunar mare basalt simulants MLS-1 and JSC-1 were developed in the late 1980s. MLS-1 approximates an Apollo 11 high-Ti basalt, and was produced by milling of a holocrystalline, coarse-grained intrusive gabbro (Fig. 1). JSC-1 approximates an Apollo 14 basalt with a relatively low-Ti content, and was obtained from a glassy volcanic ash (Fig. 2). Supplies of MLS-1 and JSC-1 have been exhausted and these materials are no longer available. No highland anorthosite simulant was previously developed. Upcoming lunar polar missions thus require the identification, assessment, and development of both mare and highland simulants. A lunar regolith simulant is manufactured from terrestrial components for the purpose of simulating the physical and chemical properties of the lunar regolith. Significant challenges exist in the identification of appropriate terrestrial source materials. Lunar materials formed under comparatively reducing conditions in the absence of water, and were modified by meteorite impact events. Terrestrial materials formed under more oxidizing conditions with significantly greater access to water, and were modified by a wide range of weathering processes. The composition space of lunar materials can be modeled by mixing programs utilizing a low-Ti basalt, ilmenite, KREEP component, high-Ca anorthosite, and meteoritic components. This approach has been used for genetic studies of lunar samples via chemical and modal analysis. A reduced composition space may be appropriate for simulant development, but it is necessary to determine the controlling properties that affect the physical, chemical and mineralogical components of the simulant.

Carpenter, P.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Be Surface Structures on W(110) and W(211): A DFT Study

Beryllium and Tungsten are promising candidates for use as plasma facing materials (PFMs) in upcoming fusion reactors. Many complex and competing phenomena however complicate the understanding and development of materials that operate in the harsh conditions of the reactor. In particular, redeposition of Be onto the W divertor must be considered due to the expected erosion of the Be first wall under exposure to the plasma. It is known that a build up of Be on W allows for the formation of BeW alloys which can harm the longevity and performance of the fusion divertor. In an effort to understand the interaction of Be with W surfaces, a study of Be structures on W(110) and W(211) as a function of Be coverage has been carried out using Density Functional Theory. We have found that both W surfaces develop monolayers of Be characterized by a densely packed hexagonal structure. Below this monolayer coverage, Be structures are found to have two motifs of coverage, a densely packed hexagonal pattern punctuated by areas of low-density coverage. The structures found here produce work function values and trends in good agreement with experimental measurements.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Final Project Report for DOE/EERE High-Capacity and Low-Cost Hydrogen-Storage Sorbents for Automotive Applications

This report provides a review of the objectives, progress, and milestones of the research conducted during this project on the topic of developing innovative metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and porous organic polymers (POPs) for high-capacity and low-cost hydrogen-storage sorbents in automotive applications.1 The objectives of the proposed research were to develop new materials as next-generation hydrogen storage sorbents that meet or exceed DOE’s 2017 performance targets of gravimetric capacity of 0.055 kg H 2 /kg system and volumetric capacity of 0.040 kg H 2 /L system at a cost of $400/kg H 2 stored . Texas A&M University (TAMU) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) collaborated in developing low-cost and high-capacity hydrogen-storage sorbents with appropriate stability, sorption kinetics, and thermal conductivity. The research scope and methods developed to achieve the project’s goals include the following: Advanced ligand design and synthesis to construct MOF sorbents with optimal hydrogen storage capacities, low cost and high stability; Substantially improve the hydrogen uptake capacity and chemical stability of MOF-based sorbents by incorporating high valent metal ions during synthesis or through the post-synthetic metal metathesis oxidation approach; Enhance sorbent storage capacity through material engineering and characterization; Generate a better understanding of the H 2 -sorbent interaction through advanced characterization and simulation. Over the course of the project 5 different MOFs were developed and studied: PCN-250, PCN-12, PCN-12’, PCN-608 and PCN-609.2-3 Two different samples were submitted to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in order to validate their hydrogen adsorption capacity, PCN-250 and PCN-12. Neither of these samples reached the project’s Go/No-Go requirements but the data obtained did further prove the hypothesis that the presence of open metal sites oriented towards MOF pores help to surpass the predicted hydrogen uptakes described by Chahine’s rule.4 These observations are believed to have a major impact on the hydrogen storage community, and may potentially lead to the development of a material that could meet the DOE goals for hydrogen storage systems for automotive applications.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

33 Unresolved Questions in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Significant advances in science and engineering often emerge at the intersections of disciplines. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are inherently interdisciplinary, uniting researchers from chemistry, physics, biology, medicine, materials science, and engineering. This convergence has fostered novel ways of thinking and enabled the development of materials, tools, and technologies that have transformed both basic and applied research, as well as how we address critical societal challenges. In this Nano Focus, we pose and explore 33 questions whose answers could profoundly impact fields such as energy, electronics, the environment, optics, and medicine. These questions highlight the need for deeper foundational understanding, improved tools and techniques, and innovative applications─each with significant societal relevance. Together, they represent a global call-to-action for the scientific community.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Highly Permeable Rubbery Thin Film Composite Membranes for CO2 Capture from Steel Mills

For presentation at the 2024 AIChE Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, October 27-31, 2024. High-permeance and CO2-selective membranes are needed to make membrane technology economically viable for large-scale deployment of carbon capture from various industrial point sources such as steel mills. Thin film composite (TFC) membranes are necessary for this practical implementation because they can provide high permeance by forming a thin selective layer on top of a porous support layer. This presentation reports the rational design and fabrication of National Energy Technology Laboratory’s highly permeable non-aging TFC membranes achieved by: (1) synthesizing a high-performance rubbery selective material; (2) developing a high-porosity membrane support; (3) optimizing coating methods to assemble the two materials into scalable membranes; and (4) scaling up membrane supports and TFCs via a roll-to-roll process. This talk will also cover the design, computational fluid dynamic simulation, 3D printing, construction, and permeation testing of plate-and-frame membrane modules for an upcoming field demonstration at U. S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, PA.

Zhu, Lingxiang↗
NASA NTRS1976

Latitudinal variation of wind erosion of crater ejecta deposits on Mars

The characteristics of wind erosion as the dominant process involved in eroding crater ejecta deposits on Mars are studied. Present-day crater formation in mid to high latitudes involves impact into some thickness of aeolian debris, while impact in the equatorial zone is more likely to involve target materials consisting of coarse-grained aeolian lag deposits or even bedrock. Latitudinal variation dominates differences in ejecta emplacement mechanisms and probably differences in patterns of wind erosion of ejecta and surrounding intercrater materials. Escarpments develop as the deposits are eroded back toward crater rims. Erosion only takes places at escarpment edges where surface roughness may be low enough to allow particle entrainment. Preferential preservation of ejecta emplaced in thick debris may occur. An empirical model developed for wind erosion of ejecta deposits in nonmantled areas suggests that removal of ejecta materials on the average is exceedingly slow. Results suggest high differential aeolian erosion rates that are a function of both grain sizes and large-scale surface roughness.

Arvidson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Commercial Implementation of Ultrasonic Velocity Imaging Methods via Cooperative Agreement Between NASA Lewis Research Center and Sonix, Inc.

This article describes the commercial implementation of ultrasonic velocity imaging methods developed and refined at NASA Lewis Research Center on the Sonix c-scan inspection system. Two velocity imaging methods were implemented: thickness-based and non-thickness-based reflector plate methods. The article demonstrates capabilities of the commercial implementation and gives the detailed operating procedures required for Sonix customers to achieve optimum velocity imaging results. This commercial implementation of velocity imaging provides a 100x speed increase in scanning and processing over the lab-based methods developed at LeRC. The significance of this cooperative effort is that the aerospace and other materials development-intensive industries which use extensive ultrasonic inspection for process control and failure analysis will now have an alternative, highly accurate imaging method commercially available.

Roth, Don J.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Low Velocity Earth-Penetration Test and Analysis

Modeling and simulation of structural impacts into soil continue to challenge analysts to develop accurate material models and detailed analytical simulations to predict the soil penetration event. This paper discusses finite element modeling of a series of penetrometer drop tests into soft clay. Parametric studies are performed with penetrometers of varying diameters, masses, and impact speeds to a maximum of 45 m/s. Parameters influencing the simulation such as the contact penalty factor and the material model representing the soil are also studied. An empirical relationship between key parameters is developed and is shown to correlate experimental and analytical results quite well. The results provide preliminary design guidelines for Earth impact that may be useful for future space exploration sample return missions.

Fasanella, Edwin L.↗