Modeling interconnections of safety and financial performance of nuclear power plants, Part 2: Methodological developments and case study
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Nuclear Science & Technology↗
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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry of eutectic bis(2,2-dinitropropyl) acetal/formal Methodology Development
This report documents the methodology development undergone using a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system to investigate the chemical changes produced in the aging process of a eutectic bis( 2,2 - dinitropropyl) acetal/formal nitroplasticizer (NP). Detailed discussion is given to explain why it is essential to develop these methods in LC-MS/MS for analyzing these chemical agents. This report is the second of a series on the use of LC-MS/MS to understand the degradation mechanisms of NP.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
De-risking superhot EGS development through 3D play fairway analysis: Methodology development and application at Newberry Volcano, Oregon, USA
The DErisking Exploration for multiple geothermal Plays in magmatic ENvironments (DEEPEN) project aims to de-risk exploration of geothermal plays in magmatic systems, with a focus on superhot and supercritical geothermal systems. This article presents advancements in geoscientific assessment of superhot enhanced geothermal system (EGS) resources as part of the DEEPEN project, particularly in exploration and identification of these systems. While there exists a general consensus on key components of conventional hydrothermal systems, there has not been a prior consensus on such components for EGS, let alone superhot EGS. The DEEPEN project identified these key components for superhot EGS plays, and used them to modify the traditional geothermal play fairway analysis (PFA) approach to identify favorable areas in superhot EGS plays in 3D. This was done through modeling both favorability and uncertainty separately for each key component of a superhot EGS play, incorporating diverse 3D geoscientific datasets, including geologic features, models produced from direct observations, single inversions, and joint inversions. The PFA is applied to Newberry Volcano as a form of validation. Finally, the results appear to validate the methodology, aligning with expectations derived from conceptual modeling, and highlighting the area targeted for EGS stimulation well NWG 55-29 as favorable, and suggesting potential additional areas worthy of exploration at Newberry.
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
Developing Methodology to Determine Pu Isotopic Composition by Laser Ablation MC-ICP-MS
This project will develop methodology to analyze the Pu isotope ratio in mixed U-Pu particles by laser ablation MC-ICP-MS. This will involve: 1) testing and validation of the Pu analytical method using mixed U-Pu solutions and Pu doped glasses, 2) isotopic analysis of mixed U-Pu particles by laser ablation MC-ICP-MS, and 3) continued development of the R-based data reduction program. Details regarding the analytical method development and results of QC testing will be output as a deliverable to the IAEA, along with an updated version of the LARA data reduction software.
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
Evaluation of Mesoscale Convective Systems in Climate Simulations: Methodological Development and Results from MPAS-CAM over the U.S.
In this study, a process-oriented approach is developed to evaluate warm-season mesoscale convective system (MCS) precipitation and their favorable large-scale meteorological patterns (FLSMPs) over the U.S. This approach features a novel observation-driven MCS-tracking algorithm using infrared brightness temperature and precipitation feature at 12, 25 and 50 km resolution and metrics to evaluate the model large-scale environment favorable for MCS initiation. The tracking algorithm successfully reproduces the observed MCS statistics from a reference 4-km radar MCS database. To demonstrate the utility of the new methodologies in evaluating MCS in climate simulations with mesoscale resolution, the process-oriented approach is applied to two climate simulations produced by the Variable-Resolution Model for Prediction Across Scales coupled to the Community Atmosphere Model physics, with refined horizontal grid spacing at 50 km and 25 km over North America. With the tracking algorithm applied to simulations and observations at equivalent resolutions, the simulated number of MCS and associated precipitation amount, frequency and intensity are found to be consistently underestimated in the Central U.S., particularly from May to August. The simulated MCS precipitation shows little diurnal variation and lasts too long, while MCS precipitation area is too large and intensity is too weak. The model is able to simulate four types of observed FLSMP associated with frontal systems and low-level jets (LLJ) in spring, but the frequencies are underestimated because of low-level dry bias and weaker LLJ. Precipitation simulated under different FLSMPs peak during daytime, in contrast to the observed nocturnal peak. Implications of these findings for future model development and diagnostics are discussed.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
Methodology Development for Proliferation Resistance Optimization of Advanced Reactors and Fuel Cycles
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11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
Evaluation of Mesoscale Convective Systems in Climate Simulations: Methodological Development and Results from MPAS-CAM over the United States
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
A Methodology Development for Proliferation Resistance Optimization of Advanced Reactors and Fuel Cycle
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Chirayath, Sunil [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000173896846)↗
Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry study of eutectic bis(2,2-dinitropropyl) acetal/formal
This study is the first attempt to document methodology development undergone using liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF) to investigate degradation products of eutectic bis(2,2-dinitropropyl) acetal/formal nitroplasticizer (called NP here). Method properties investigated are: desolvation temperature (°C) and spray voltage (V) of the electrospray ionization source, and the development of an acetone system rinse to prevent any residual contamination between sample injections. Details are given on why it is essential to investigate method optimization with changes shown in MS/MS analysis in addition to MS results. Trends in MS/MS analytic results reveal important relationships between baseline and aged materials. In addition to verification of previously proposed fragments, insights offered by this newly developed methodology will also identify new degradation products and shed light on the complexity of NP degradation chemistry.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Estimation of stress and stress-induced permeability change in a geological nuclear waste repository in a thermo-hydrologically coupled simulation
Geologic disposal is a promising solution for a safe permanent isolation of accumulated high-level nuclear waste from nuclear powerplants. The behavior of host rock is highly coupled thermally, hydromechanically, and chemically. Numerical simulations of such coupled phenomena for the extremely long term (>100,000 years) and large length scale (>1 km) of geologic disposal remain to be computationally challenging. In this study, a methodology has been developed to approximate stress and stress-induced permeability change in host rock using only thermo-hydrological (TH) variables. A coupled thermo-hydromechanical (THM) simulation is carried out using TOUGH-FLAC simulator to model THM behaviors of a generic nuclear waste repository, in order to evaluate the performance of the developed methodology, which is implemented in a coupled TH simulation. Results show that stress and permeability change estimated by the developed methodology in the TH-coupled simulation match those calculated in the THM-coupled simulation over the simulated timeframe of over 10,000 years. Details about errors in stress and permeability estimates accrued by the developed methodology are discussed here. The developed methodology will help incorporate stress-induced permeability change into existing TH simulators for the long-term radionuclide transport in geologic disposal.
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
A methodology to develop multi-physics dynamic fuel cell system models validated with vehicle realistic drive cycle data
Fuel cell (FC) technology has been identified as a technically attractive solution to decarbonize the transportation sector, especially for heavy-duty vehicles. In this context, the industry and the scientific community are in need of advanced fuel cell systems (FCS) models that are able to replicate real -world operating conditions. Due to the scarcity of said models in the open literature, this study aimed to develop a comprehensive methodology to calibrate and validate multi -physics dynamic FCS models. Therefore, the key contribution of this paper is the detailed description of the calibration process for each component and the calibration order. The specific focus here was to accurately describe the behavior of the FC stack as well as the cathode, anode, and cooling circuits of the balance of plant. The model was calibrated with the aid of experimental data from a Toyota Mirai FC electric vehicle, which was predominantly retrieved from the vehicle's Controller Area Network (CAN) bus system thereby negating the need for major intrusion into the powertrain system. The validation process was deemed successful with the model being able to truthfully replicate the characteristics of the FC vehicle operated on the World-wide harmonized Light duty Test Cycle (WLTC) 3b and US06 driving cycle. The time -resolved physical parameters such as the cathode pressure, mass flow, or the FC stack temperature were captured with high fidelity, while the overall performance parameters such as the H2 consumption in the stack and the system, and the compressor energy consumption were predicted accurately with a deviation lower than 0.47%, 1.75% and 1.89% with respect to the experimental data, respectively.
Lopez-Juarez, Marcos↗
Development and demonstration of a methodology to evaluate high burnup fuel susceptibility to pulverization under a loss of coolant transient
For economic reasons, the US nuclear industry is renewing efforts to build a technical basis to extend rod average burnup limits above the current regulatory burnup limit of 62 GWd/MTU. The primary driver is to increase pressurized water reactor cycle lengths to 24 months, reducing the number of fresh fuel assemblies and core design constraints, thereby making core energy utilization more efficient. However, fuel pellet fragmentation and pulverization, termed high burnup fuel fragmentation (HBFF), has been observed in the high burnup (>90 GWd/MTU) Halden loss-of-coolant-accident (LOCA) integral test series. The issue gained attention when fuel fragmentation and pulverization were also observed closer to the current US regulatory limit during the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) sponsored out-of-core integral test at Studsvik Nuclear in early 2011. This led to NRC concerns with potential changes to fuel and core designs relative to fuel pellet pulverization. In a letter to the NRC Commissioners, the staff specifically identified a need to “…define the boundary of safe operation for key fuel design and operating parameters,” stating that “the staff is challenged to evaluate the acceptability of future fuel design advancements and fuel utilization changes.” As such, it can be concluded that HBFF and potential dispersal into the reactor coolant system introduces additional complications in light-water reactor (LWR) fuel safety evaluations. However, it is not clear how much fuel will be susceptible to HBFF; nor has there been a methodology developed to evaluate fuel susceptibility to HBFF. To that end, this paper proposes an analysis methodology to assess fuel susceptibility to HBFF during LOCA scenarios. The work presented here uses the BISON fuel performance code to evaluate a representative pressurized water reactor fuel rod exposed to a rod average burnup of 75 GWd/MTU. Sensitivity studies investigated the impact of the peak cladding temperature, transient fission gas released, and pre-transient fission gas release on cladding ballooning and burst timing. Subsequently, a methodology to assess fuel susceptibility to HBFF will be developed based on experimental data published in the open literature. The methodology will then be demonstrated by calculating the mass of fuel susceptibility to HBFF. The BISON results conclude that increasing peak cladding temperature drastically decreased time to failure, and decreased balloon size both of which have been confirmed experimentally. Additionally, the effect of pre-transient and transient fission gas release affected cladding balloon size and burst timing. Finally, fuel susceptibility to HBFF significantly decreased as a function of peak cladding temperature.
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
Using Hardware-In-The-Loop Methodology to Develop Test Systems
Hardware in the Loop (HIL) testing methodologies have become widespread in industry. Typically, they focus on developing control algorithms for systems such as autonomous vehicles or aircraft. An oft overlooked aspect of product development is the design and fabrication of a test system for validating that the product meets requirements. Abstractly, a test system differs little from a control system—testers provide signals to the unit, monitor feedback, and base decisions on the results. While the time scales may differ, the functionalities are conceptually similar. Viewed in this light, it becomes natural to extend HIL approaches to tester development. By replacing a physical unit with a proxy model deployed to a real-time or pseudo real-time target, test systems can be developed in parallel with the design and fabrication of a first production unit. This saves considerable time in the life cycle from conceptual design to realized product. This manuscript demonstrates the process flow using a capacitive discharge unit as an exemplar.
42 ENGINEERING↗
A Magnetized Electron Source For Ion Beam Cooling
A number of electron-ion collider facilities for nuclear physics research are under consid- eration in the United States. At Brookhaven National Lab (BNL), the eRHIC (electron Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider) facility would augment the existing ion/proton facility with an electron accelerator. Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab) plans to use the existing CEBAF machine and add an ion/proton accelerator, as part of the Jefferson Lab Electron-Ion Collider (JLEIC). All such facilities require cooling of the ion beams in order to reach the luminosity goals. Different methods of cooling the ions using an electron beam are envisaged. BNL is pursuing coherent electron cooling and non-magnetized, bunched-beam cooling, while JLab is considering magnetized cooling. In addition to electron cooling, magnetized beams are of interest for other applica- tions, such as flat beam klystrons and novel means for producing bright beams for micro- undulators and compact X-ray sources. For example, flat beams generated from a mag- netized injector, in conjunction with low emittance, enable RF sources with frequencies above 100 GHz. While the market for high-performance injectors for electron cooling is limited, the market for high-frequency RF sources and compact X-ray systems is con- siderable. Thus, the design methodologies developed in this project have a wide range of applicability. In Phase I of this SBIR project, Xelera Research LLC performed simulations and calcu- lations to develop a prototype design for a magnetized electron injector that can be used as a source for cooling an ion beam. We developed general design methodologies and tech- niques that are applicable not only to specific machine designs but to other applications requiring magnetized injectors as well. In this Phase II SBIR project, Xelera Research LLC, in collaboration with a team at JLab, designed, built, and tested a thermionic elec- tron source for driving a magnetized electron cooler in a future electron-ion collider project. This device was delivered to JLab in July 2019 and achieved first beam in December 2019.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Refining Principal Stress Measurements in Reservoir Underburden in Regions of Induced Seismicity through Seismological Tools, Laboratory Experiments - Final Technical Report
This project developed methodologies to measure the in-situ principal stress in the deep subsurface through use of multiple independent, but complementary, seismic methods, laboratory verification, and development of theoretical frameworks. By leveraging existing regional and local datasets we developed, tested, and refined a set of diagnostic tools for determining the in-situ stress state with reduced uncertainty at and below reservoir depths (1.5-6 km). A set of novel tools was produced that are scale independent, such that their utility is equivalent on regional, field scale, and near borehole monitoring of principal stresses in reservoir underburden for carbon storage projects. During a 4-year Department of Energy (DOE) and Southern Company funded project, carried out by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the University of Oklahoma (OU), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the project team developed methodologies to measure the far-field in-situ principal stress in the deep subsurface, leveraging induced seismicity data from waste-water disposal projects. These methodologies consisted in the use of well-established and technically advanced seismic processing methods, such as virtual seismometer method-moment tensor (VSM-MT) and shear wave splitting (SWS), that are adept at recovering the stress orientation and certain components of the stress tensor. These methods were applied to robust seismicity catalogs created with matched filter techniques near sites of active fluid disposal—a proxy for carbon storage sites where such datasets are more limited. Estimates of the stress orientation made with seismic processing tools were considered along with laboratory acoustic emission experiments conducted on rock samples from the region of interest. Stress orientations in the studied region do not vary significantly across distances of ~100 km, nor are they found to rotate through time as a consequence of local wastewater disposal, as previously speculated. Finally, the project team investigated the trade-offs among the different seismic methods and evaluated the range of uncertainty that is generated with these methodologies, which led to a practical use and refinement of the VSM-MT technique when it is applied to field datasets. Understanding the trade-offs between these different methods highlighted the potential benefits of improved quantification of uncertainties on stress field estimations.
58 GEOSCIENCES↗
Exploring for Superhot Geothermal Targets in Magmatic Settings: Developing a Methodology
This paper presents preliminary results from a subset of work carried out as part of a multinational research project entitled DErisking Exploration for multiple geothermal Plays in magmatic ENvironments (DEEPEN). One objective of DEEPEN is to develop a customized approach to exploration for superhot geothermal plays in magmatic systems. This paper summarizes key geologic components, risk factors, and exploration methods for geothermal plays in magmatic settings based on a review and comparative analysis of international training sites. As part of a Play Fairway Analysis (PFA) approach to exploring for multiple play types in a single magmatic system, training data were compiled and weights assigned to various evidence layers. Two different approaches for weighting exploration datasets are described in this paper - one based on expert opinions and the other using statistical learning. Weights produced by both approaches will be input into a 3D PFA workflow that combines multiple exploration datasets to generate 3D geothermal favorability models, which will be applied to two international demonstration sites.
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
Machine Learning for Automated Metadata Assignment in Buildings: Cooperative Research and Development (Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-18-00767)
RealTerm Energy and NREL have identified a shared vision to evaluate opportunities to facilitate the organization and assignment of metadata to building control system (BCS) data via industry-informed machine learning (ML). Manual metadata assignment is labor intensive and costly, slowing down any Energy Management and Information System (EMIS) deployment in the building space. This project aims to develop methodologies to accurately assign this metadata and significantly decrease the level of effort associated with deploying EMIS. The objective of this project is to identify/design methodologies to assign metadata to HVAC control points automatically. The identified methodologies will be programmed in analytics algorithms so they can ingest a list of points and produce a detailed tagging following the Haystack classification nomenclature. To validate the efficacy of each methodology, tagging results will be compared utilizing a list of points extracted from RealTerm's building database-as well as data extracted from the NREL campus via the Intelligent Campus program-enabling testing against large datasets with real world challenges. The developed methodologies may leverage building manager/operator input on a limited basis to add context to the classifying algorithms. The partnership aims to advance global efforts in areas related to the DOE missions through improving operational performance of commercial buildings. It is well documented that buildings fall out of commission after they are occupied, wasting significant energy and incurring associated costs simply due to poor operational performance. Emerging EMIS technologies that perform continuous commissioning help to address this issue, yet integration of these systems can be labor intensive both for the technology vendor and the building owner/operator. This project will enable more efficient and cost-effective analytics for buildings, enabling improvement in building operations at lower cost points.
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
Charged Wellbore Casing Controlled Source Electromagnetics (CWC-CSEM) for Reservoir Imaging and Monitoring (Final report)
This project addresses the needs of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop advanced monitoring technologies and protocols to track the fate of subsurface carbon dioxide (CO2) plumes for carbon storage. Specifically, the project seeks to develop and test a unique and novel system of technologies consisting of electromagnetic data acquisition, coupled multiphysics imaging, and reservoir model enhancement to understand the migration and long-term distribution of CO2 in the subsurface. The overarching objective is to develop an integrated approach for long term monitoring of carbon storage. The two main components of the project include the methodology development and the test of the method at a field site. The methodology component consists of 1) developing the field procedure and protocol for collecting time-lapse controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) data with source electric current injected into the subsurface through wellbore casings; 2) building of background 3D electrical conductivity utilizing multiple sources of data such as supplemental surface transient EM (TEM) surveys, well-logs, and seismic structural information, for enhancing CSEM signal from reservoir depths; and 3) coupled multiphysics simulations and inversion of CSEM data constrained by production data and by structural information from seismic imaging of the reservoir and overlying formations. The testing component used the field site of Bell Creek Oil Field, which served both as a field laboratory for the method development as well as a test site to evaluate the CSEM signal strengths and the methodology developed in this research project. We have accomplished all the proposed tasks and developed the methodology as planned. These include the procedure for time-lapse CSEM data acquisition, data processing techniques, integration with 3D conductivity model building, fast reservoir simulation for history matching using machine learning, and interpreting CSEM data with coupling to the reservoir modeling. Collectively, the outcome of these tasks form a coherent workflow that can be applied to monitor dedicated carbon storage in saline reservoirs. The testing component evaluated the applicability and limitations of the method, and concluded that the method would be ideal for monitoring dedicated carbon storage sites utilizing saline reservoirs.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗