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At least 1,639 records · Page 91

Data analysis study and performance evaluation of the scanning laser Doppler system

A simulation program which provided information on theoretically expected vortex spectra, evaluations of potential algorithms, and expected location accuracies for given scan patterns is presented. Field tests using an aircraft engine flow field and aircraft vortices during flyby tests were compared to the results of the simulation. From these studies, a vortex location algorithm was developed which provided vortex location for one or two vortices as a function of time. Results of this algorithm used on data from flyby tests were used to study vortex transport, to evaluate system performance, and to provide suggestions for real-time vortex location algorithms. The results of real-time analysis were compared to those which were expected based on theoretical considerations.

Sonnenschein, C. M.↗

OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY BEHAVIORAL ANALYTICS (OTBA) – A DATA-CENTRIC APPROACH FOR REDUCING CYBERSECURITY RISK

This paper provides a summary of the methodology, findings, lessons learned, and insights from an investigation into the feasibility of the Operational Technology Behavioral Analytics (OTBA) cybersecurity approach. The concept was evaluated with data from the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) – a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded facility that is managed and operated by Southern Company at Alabama Power’s E. C. Gaston generating power plant in Wilsonville, Alabama. Appropriate data sources for the post-combustion carbon capture system were identified. Infrastructure was deployed to monitor, capture and archive data for the system. Critical parameters for each subsystem were identified and analyzed. Machine-learning algorithms were used to establish and characterize normal operations and subsequently identify anomalies. This effort yielded valuable insights and formed the basis of a data-centric strategy for detecting cyber-attacks along with a coordinated response philosophy. A significant takeaway is that the OTBA cybersecurity approach is quite portable; it can be applied to other critical infrastructure beyond fossil power generation.

Black, Clifton↗

The specific ( α ,n) production rate for 234 U in UF 6

Natural, depleted, and low enriched uranium hexafluoride is manufactured and transported on an industrial scale to support commercial nuclear power plant operation. One-way material production and flow is verified by nuclear safeguards inspectorates is by neutron counting. The dominant neutron source term is ( α ,n) production due to 234 U which gets enriched/depleted along with 235 U. We describe recent efforts to accurately determine the ( α ,n)/s/g of 234 U in UF 6 . This piece of nuclear data is of direct value to the nuclear safeguards community in the science-based verification and assay of bulk uranium hexafluoride. It also provides a benchmark on codes that calculate yield curves for various compounds from cross section data, and hence, provides a scale or normalization constraint on evaluated basic cross section data. Finally, in turn, evaluated basic data allows the yield from other materials to be calculated; for instance, moist uranyl fluoride, which is of interest in holdup measurements.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Hybrid PSO-ASVR-based method for data fitting in the calibration of infrared radiometer

The present paper describes a hybrid particle swarm optimization-adaptive support vector regression (PSO-ASVR)-based method for data fitting in the calibration of infrared radiometer. The proposed hybrid PSO-ASVR-based method is based on PSO in combination with Adaptive Processing and Support Vector Regression (SVR). The optimization technique involves setting parameters in the ASVR fitting procedure, which significantly improves the fitting accuracy. However, its use in the calibration of infrared radiometer has not yet been widely explored. Bearing this in mind, the PSO-ASVR-based method, which is based on the statistical learning theory, is successfully used here to get the relationship between the radiation of a standard source and the response of an infrared radiometer. Main advantages of this method are the flexible adjustment mechanism in data processing and the optimization mechanism in a kernel parameter setting of SVR. Numerical examples and applications to the calibration of infrared radiometer are performed to verify the performance of PSO-ASVR-based method compared to conventional data fitting methods.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Measurement of the 230 Th( p ,2n)Pa229 and 230 Th( p ,3n)Pa228 reaction cross sections from 14.1 to 16.9 MeV

Actinium-225 is of interest for medical isotope production and there is on-going research into methods of producing Ac 225 , either directly or via the decay of its parent isotopes ( Th 229 , Pa 229 , and Ra 225 ). One method that has been suggested is the Th 230 ( p , 2 n ) Pa 229 reaction. However, there is no available cross-section data for this reaction in the literature. Purpose: Measure the Th 230 ( p , 2 n ) and Th 230 ( p , 3 n ) reaction cross sections in the energy range where the ( p , 2 n ) reaction is predicted to peak to determine the feasibility of Ac 225 production via the Th 230 ( p , 2 n ) reaction. Methods: Targets naturally enriched in Th 230 were irradiated at the Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory with energies ranging from 14.1 to 16.9 MeV. Furthermore, chemical processing was used to separate the protactinium activation products, followed by γ -ray spectroscopy to measure the activities of Pa 228 , 229 , 230 , 232 produced in the irradiation. Results: We find that excitation functions are reported for the first time in the literature for the Th 230 ( p , 2 n ) and Th 230 ( p , 3 n ) reactions in this energy range. The peak measured value of the Th 230 ( p , 2 n ) reaction was found to be 182 ± 12 mb at 14.4 ± 0.1 MeV. The Th 232 ( p , n ) Pa 232 reaction was used to verify the experimental conditions, the measured values are reported and are comparable to the existing literature values. From the γ -ray spectrometry data, the half-life of Pa 229 was measured as 1.5 ± 0.1 days, which is within the error of the half-life reported in the evaluated nuclear data as well as in the recent measurements, and the half-life of Pa 228 was measured as 19.5 ± 0.4 hours. Conclusions: Overall, the Th 230 ( p , 2 n ) Pa 229 reaction could reasonably be used for Ac 225 isotope production, although significant amounts of relatively isotopically pure Th 230 would be needed for significant production because the low alpha-decay branching ratio of Pa 229 and long half-life of Th 229 inhibit the in-growth of significant amounts of Ac 225 .

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

SU-D-209-05: Sensitivity of the Diagnostic Radiological Index of Protection (DRIP) to Procedural Factors in Fluoroscopy

Purpose: To evaluate the sensitivity of the Diagnostic Radiological Index of Protection (DRIP) to procedural factors in fluoroscopy in an effort to determine an appropriate set of scatter-mimicking primary beams (SMPB) to be used in measuring the DRIP. Methods: A series of clinical and factorial Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to determine the shape of the scattered X-ray spectra incident on the operator in different clinical fluoroscopy scenarios. Two clinical evaluations studied the sensitivity of the scattered spectrum to gantry angle and patient size while technical factors were varied according to measured automatic dose rate control (ADRC) data. Factorial evaluations studied the sensitivity of the scattered spectrum to gantry angle, field of view, patient size and beam quality for constant technical factors. Average energy was the figure of merit used to condense fluence in each energy bin to a single numerical index. Results: Beam quality had the strongest influence on the scattered spectrum in fluoroscopy. Many procedural factors affected the scattered spectrum indirectly through their effects on primary beam quality through ADRC, e.g., gantry angle and patient size. Lateral C-arm rotation, common in interventional cardiology, increased the energy of the scattered spectrum, regardless of the direction of rotation. The effect of patient size on scattered radiation depended on ADRC characteristics, patient size, and procedure type. Conclusion: The scattered spectrum striking the operator in fluoroscopy, and therefore the DRIP, is most strongly influenced by primary beam quality, particularly kV. Use cases for protective garments should be classified by typical procedural primary beam qualities, which are governed by the ADRC according to the impacts of patient size, anatomical location, and gantry angle. These results will help determine an appropriate set of SMPB to be used for measuring the DRIP.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

The role and application of data base management in integrated computer-aided design

The need to marshal the extensive data that figure in design problems is underlined. An approach to managing engineering data for use in a computerized integrated design system is described. The approach is embodied in an experimental integrated software system that is used to demonstrate and evaluate such data management functions as storage, retrieval, query, manipulation, and modification. The development and organization of the experimental integrated design system and the application of the system to selected test problems are discussed, together with insights into data management issues gained from the study.

Blackburn, C. L.↗

Hanford Site Rare Plant Monitoring Report for Calendar Year 2025

This report summarizes rare plant monitoring data collected in calendar year (CY) 2025 and provides management recommendations accordingly. DOE/RL-2021-35, Central Hanford Rare Plant Management Plan, guides the approach to rare plant monitoring and management at the Hanford Site. In CY 2025, rare plant monitoring efforts occurred on the portion of the Hanford Site managed by the U.S. Department of Energy, Hanford Field Office (HFO; Figure 1-1), referred to herein as Central Hanford. The goal of monitoring is to collect data to evaluate the conservation status of rare plant species. Surveys conducted in CY 2025 built on previous monitoring efforts, tracking the abundance and distribution of rare plants at Central Hanford. Results from previous monitoring efforts are included for reference. Monitoring data are submitted to the Washington Natural Heritage Program (WNHP), part of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (WA DNR), to evaluate statewide conservation statuses.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Validation of the SCALE/Polaris–PARCS Code Procedure With the ENDF/B-VII.1 AMPX 56-Group Library: Boiling Water Reactor

The SCALE/Polaris–PARCS code procedure has been used in the confirmatory analysis for boiling water reactors by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In this study, the SCALE/Polaris v6.3.0–PARCS v3.4.2 code procedure with the Evaluated Nuclear Data File (ENDF)/B-VII.1 AMPX 56-group library was validated by comparing the simulated results with the measured data for operating boiling water reactors, including Peach Bottom Unit 2 cycles 1–3, Hatch Unit 1 cycles 1–3, and Quad Cities Unit 1 cycles 1–3. The uncertainties and biases of the SCALE/Polaris–PARCS code package for boiling water reactor physics analysis were evaluated in the validation for key nuclear parameters such as reactivity and traversing in-core probe data.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Evaluation of trace elements in U.S. coals using the USGS COALQUAL database version 3.0. Part I: Rare earth elements and yttrium (REY)

Coal is a potential source of valuable elements such as rare earth elements and yttrium (REY). In this work, REY concentrations in U.S. domestic coals were evaluated using data from the USGS COALQUAL Database Version 3.0. The database contains a total of 7657 non-weathered, full-bed coal samples. The number of samples containing REY data points varies among elements. Assessment of data quality indicates that some of the REY data are semi-quantitative and should be used with caution. Different analytical instruments and methods with varying accuracies and precisions are thought to be the main sources of errors. Inclusion of qualified data also accounts for the sawtooth pattern of the UCC-normalized REY distribution. A new set of Q factor values was thus proposed to adjust qualified data. Consequently, mean concentrations of REY in U.S. coals were obtained with a total REY concentration of 65.5 ppm on a moisture-free whole coal basis. Further evaluation of REY in 5378 selected coal samples indicates that about 9–13% of the samples fall into the combined category of promising and highly promising coals for REY, according to the classification of Dai et al. (2017). Taking sampling bias into consideration, we further found that bituminous coal, particularly from the central Appalachian region, has the highest probability of being a source for beneficial recovery of REY. More specifically, bituminous coal from eastern Kentucky is likely to be the best option. Lastly, we conclude that U.S. domestic coal is a promising, alternative source for beneficial recovery of REY to meet the U.S. REY demand for economic growth.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Measurement of the energy-differential 35 Cl( n, p 0 ) 35 S cross section via the ratio with 6 Li( n, α ) 3 H

Knowledge of the neutron-induced 35 Cl ⁢(n, x) cross sections is vital to the design and certification of molten chloride fast reactors (MCFRs) since the 35 Cl (n, p 0 ) 35 S reaction is believed to be a significant reactor poison. However, recently published measurements are inconsistent with each other and with evaluation. Here, the goal of this work is to measure the 35 Cl (n, p 0 ) reaction cross section using a technique that is different from recent measurements. The experiment was conducted at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's (LBNL) 88-Inch Cyclotron using thick target deuteron breakup from a 14 MeV deuteron beam. Energy-differential 35 Cl (n, p 0 ) 35 S cross sections were obtained via ratio with the 6 Li (n, a)⁢ 3 H reaction using an active target experiment with a Cs 2 ⁢LiYCl 6 (CLYC) scintillator. The 35 Cl (n, p 0 ) reaction cross section was measured from 2.02 to 7.46 MeV. The results are consistent with Kuvin et al., confirming a roughly 50% reduction in magnitude relative to the ENDF/B-VIII.0 evaluation. These data provide new insight into the role of natural Cl as an MCFR poison. The reduction of the 35 Cl (n, p 0 ) reaction cross section compared to evaluation suggests that MCFR criticality is less sensitive to Cl enrichment. This may in turn reduce building and operating costs since isotope separation may not be needed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Photonuclear Physics in SCALE

Radiation shielding modeling involves a wide range of applications, such as power reactors, critical experiments, portable sources, linear accelerators, and fusion systems. Particle energy ranges vary from thermal energies to fast energy spectra. MAVRIC, as the radiation shielding sequence of the SCALE code system [1] developed and maintained by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is capable of modeling both neutron and photon interactions in matter and is widely used by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and radiation shielding practitioners all around the world. Although most applications don’t involve highly energetic photons that can cause photonuclear reactions and create coupled chains of high energy, ionized electrons and bremsstrahlung radiation within a material medium, when present, these reactions can have a significant impact upon the downstream particle fluxes from incident photons above 20 MeV. For example, linear accelerators used for medical isotope production are examples of applications in which high-energetic photons are generated and used for driving or controlling other components of a complex facility. Radiation shielding analyses of such a facility would require accounting for any and all significant sources of radiation. Unfortunately, MAVRIC included no data and methods to model either photonuclear reactions or the bremsstrahlung photons until this work, which enabled accounting for both. Photonuclear reaction cross sections were imported from the Evaluated Nuclear Data File libraries, and corresponding methods were implemented in the SCALE code system; see Section 2 for how the nuclear data are imported and used. Bremsstrahlung photons were modeled by assuming thick-target approximation whereby all generated electrons and positrons due to photon interactions are assumed to be absorbed within the same material in which they were born, yielding a quick particle transport simulation method by using fast lookup tables for generating subsequent gammas; see Section 4 for details. A suite of verification models was used to test implemented methods and associated data. Tests yielded satisfactory results for the new features. Enhancements will be released as part of the next major SCALE release (v7.0), which is anticipated to be deployed in 2025, with beta releases available in the interim.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

EXSAN: An Interactive Version of the Nuclear Cross Section Data Handbook - 25687

Neutron cross section measurements and data files have advanced significantly since 1989 when Los Alamos published 'A Nuclear Cross Section Data Handbook', a detailed compendium of point-wise cross section plots and pie charts of relative contributions of individual reactions to the total cross section for 129 isotopes. Other compendiums with similar data and analysis tools have also been published. The intent of this work is to develop a modern, open-source application for interactive exploration and analysis of Evaluated Nuclear Data File (ENDF) libraries that also allows users to create their own 'Nuclear Cross Section Data Handbooks'. EXSAN is an easy-to-use graphical user interface application for exploring ENDF photon and neutron cross sections developed in Python. In addition to interactive plotting, EXSAN includes methods for computing rank-order lists of cross section for any energy and calculating composite cross sections for isotopic and elemental compositions and additional batch automation features. (authors)

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

LANDSAT 4 investigations of Thematic Mapper and Multispectral Scanner applications

Interband detector noise was suppressed in the TIPS TM North Dakota data by median filtering. Procedures were developed to optimize the visual information content of thematic mapper data and evaluate the resulting photographic products by visual interpretation. A digital to analog TM transfer function was developed which properly placed the digital values on the most useable portion of film response curve. Utilizing the calculated minimum, mean, and maximum and the respective standard deviations of the bands from 50 sample scenes of TM data, look up tables were designed which resulted in acceptable photographic products. These products were evaluated by generation of color composites of selected band combinations using standard photo production procedures, and visual interpretation of scene features.

Lauer, D. T.↗

Evaluation of a Thermodynamic Ice Crystal Icing Model Using Experimental Ice Accretion Data

This paper presents the evaluation of a thermodynamic ice crystal icing model, previously presented to describe the possible mechanisms of icing within the core of a turbofan jet engine. It has been proposed that there are two types of distinct ice accretions based on a surface energy balance: freeze-dominated icing and melt-dominated icing. In the former, ice accretion occurs where a freeze fraction (0 to 1) of melted ice crystals freezes on a surface, along with the existing ice of the impinging water and ice mass. This freeze-dominated icing is characterized by having strong adhesion to the surface. In the latter, icing occurs from accumulated unmelted ice on a surface, where a melt fraction (0 to 1) dictates the amount of unmelted impinged ice. This melt-dominated icing is characterized by weakly bonded surface adhesion. The experimentally observed ice growth rates suggest that only a small fraction of the impinging ice remains on the surface, implying a mass loss mechanism such as splash, runback, bounce, or erosion. This mass loss parameter must be determined in conjunction with the fraction of freezing liquid water or fraction of melting ice on an icing surface. This loss parameter, however, along with the freeze and melt fraction, are the only experimental parameters that are currently not measured directly. Using reported icing growth rates from published ice crystal icing experiments, a methodology is proposed to determine these unknown parameters. This work takes reported ice accretion data from tests conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2016 and tests NASA collaborated on with the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada in 2012 that examined the fundamental physics of ice crystal icing. Those research efforts sought to generate icing conditions representative of those that occur inside a jet engine when ingesting ice crystals. This paper presents the fundamental equations of the thermodynamic model, the methodology used to determine the aforementioned unknown icing parameters, and results from model evaluation using experimental data. In addition, this paper builds on the previously proposed model by adding a transient conduction term to explain ice growth behavior at the onset of experimental tests that was observed to be different from steady-state ice growth that occurred later in the test run.With the addition of this energy term, this becomes a quasi-steady model. A key finding from this work suggests that mass loss fractions can exceed 0.90 for steady ice growth periods. In addition, due to conductive heat fluxes when using a warmer-than-freezing airfoil, lower mass loss fraction values were calculated during the initial transient period.

Ice-Crystal Ice Accretion↗

AN ATLAS OF CORONAL ELECTRON DENSITY AT 5R{sub ⊙}. I. DATA PROCESSING AND CALIBRATION

Tomography of the solar corona can provide cruicial constraints for models of the low corona, unique information on changes in coronal structure and rotation rates, and a valuable boundary condition for models of the heliospheric solar wind. This is the first of a series of three papers which aim to create a set of maps of the coronal density over an extended period (1996-present). The papers will describe the data processing and calibration (this paper), the tomography method (Paper II), and the resulting atlas of coronal electron density at a height of 5 R{sub ⊙} between years 1996–2014 (Paper III). This first paper presents a detailed description of data processing and calibration for the Large-Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) C2 instrument on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and the COR2 instruments of the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) package on board the Solar Terrestial Relations Observatory (STEREO) A and B spacecraft. The methodology includes noise suppression, background subtraction, separation of large dynamic events, conversion of total brightness to K-coronal brightness, and simple functions for cross-calibration between C2/LASCO and COR2/SECCHI. Comparison of the brightness of stars between LASCO C2 total and polarized brightness (pB) observations provide in-flight calibration factors for the pB observations, resulting in considerable improved agreement between C2 and COR2 A, and elimination of curious artifacts in the C2 pB images. The cross-calibration between LASCO C2 and the STEREO coronagraphs allows, for the first time, the potential use of multi-spacecraft coronagraph data for tomography and for coronal mass ejection analysis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Assessing forest decline in coniferous forests of Vermont using NS-001 Thematic Mapper Simulator data

This study evaluates the potential of measuring/mapping forest decline in spruce-fir forests using airborne NS-001 TMS data. Using field instruments, it was found that ratios of 1.65/1.23 and 1.65/0.83-micron reflectance discriminated between spruce samples of low and high-damage sites. Using TMS data, band ratios were found to be strongly correlated with ground-based measurements of forest damage. Ratio colo-density slice images using these band ratios, and images using 0.56 and 1.65-micron bands with either of these band ratios in a false-color composite, provide accurate means of detecting, quantifying and mapping levels of forest decline.

Vogelmann, J. E.↗

Luminaire dirt depreciation (LDD): Field data from several exterior lighting projects

Luminaire dirt depreciation (LDD) data were evaluated for seven luminaires from three different project sites in Philadelphia PA, Minneapolis MN, and Yuma AZ. In each case, the luminaires were removed from the installation, carefully packaged and transported to a photometric testing laboratory, and then tested in the “as-is” or dirty condition, cleaned, and re-tested. In terms of light output, the results showed that the IES RP-36-15 method for estimating LDD was applicable to the LED luminaires evaluated. General claims of lower levels of dirt deprecation (or higher LDD values) for LED luminaires than for luminaires using conventional light sources were not supported by the test data for the LED luminaires in these three projects. While the overall measured lumen depreciation due to accumulated dirt closely matched IES estimates for LDD, the data indicated that the accumulated dirt on the luminaires dramatically altered the luminous intensity distribution of the luminaires, with reductions in intensity of more than 25% at peak angles. These effects on luminous intensity distribution are not accounted for in IES LDD estimates.

Davis, Robert G.↗