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At least 19 records

Summary of Pellet Technology Program Activities

This report summarizes the activities and budget information of ORNL’s pellet technology program from the start of FY2014 through FY2017. Cost summaries are broken down by year and spending category. Milestone activities are outlined and described by year and further described in the project narrative. The project narrative outlines the main pellet injection technology advances enabled by the pellet technology program. A list of published research products is included, along with biographies of personnel involved. This document was prepared in support of the April 24, 2018, review of the pellet technology program at ORNL.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Mesoscale to Molecules: Bioimaging Science (Technology) Program, Principal Investigator (PI) Meeting, August 2–3, 2016

The Mesoscale to Molecules Bioimaging Technology Program, within the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER), sponsors research that addresses grand challenges for biology. These grand challenges are centered around developing a better understanding of the spatial and temporal distributions of key metabolites and biomarkers associated with microorganisms and plants related to bioenergy and environmental systems. The Bioimaging Technology Program is advancing new and improved instruments that are being designed and constructed from the ground up, adapted from other scientific disciplines, or upgraded with new capabilities to create a comprehensive and versatile toolbox for imaging biological dynamics and chemistry. These instrument development approaches involve (1) hypothesis-based technologies focused on solving particular challenges for plant biology, biofuels, and biogeochemistry and (2) broad-based systems and design-based technologies that can lead to new discoveries. Both approaches are being pursued with versatility, transferability, and portability in mind to foster widespread adoption by the larger science community for future field and laboratory studies.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Advanced Reactor Technologies Advanced Reactor Technologies Program Management Plan

The Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) program grew out of earlier Department of Energy efforts to promote next-generation, small modular, and other advanced reactor concepts. It is now sponsored by Office of Advanced Reactor Deployment, NE-52. Because of its peculiar genesis, the program resides at multiple national laboratories and brings in researchers from subcontracting entities and universities. This creates a need for Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL’s) ART to authorize and define work through memorandum purchase orders, inter-entity work orders, and subcontracts. ART manages research and development (R&D) for the Gas-Cooled Reactors (GCRs) Campaign and other advanced-reactor technologies and ensures that Nuclear Regulatory Commission (requirements and stakeholder needs are factored into the R&D activities. The GCR Campaign supports the Next Generation Nuclear Plant High Temperature Reactor as outlined in the Energy Policy Act of 20051 by

42 ENGINEERING↗

Microreactor Program Technology Maturation MACS system reports

This submission contains several reports associated with the DOE Microreactor Program Technology Maturation MACS system. These include milestone reports: M3AT-24IN0804031-Optimized MACS architecture M3AT-24IN0804033-Light and temp sensor integration M4AT-23IN0804055-Update Microreactor Automated Control System (MACS) hardware based on input from demonstration M2AT-23IN0804054-Demonstrate actuation of control system using Microreactor Automated Control System (MACS)

46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AN↗

Advanced Reactors Spent Fuel & Waste Science and Technology Program

Based on the higher interest in Advanced Reactor (AR) deployment (e.g., ARDP ) for potential new fuel cycles, the Spent Fuel & Waste Science and Technology (SFWST) Program has begun to evaluate the possible implications of long-term management and final disposition of potential Advance Reactor spent nuclear fuels (SNF) that would be generated in potential advanced reactors. Safely managing and dispositioning the potential future AR SNF, and any other associated radioactive wastes, is the primary focus of this initial preliminary assessment of those. This paper summarizes three primary tasks the Spent Fuel & Waste Science and Technology (SFWST) Program is executing (or collaborating on) related to the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle (BENFC) for potential future advanced reactors: 1. Advanced Reactors Spent Fuel and Waste Streams: Strategies for the BENFC This set of activities define a high-level strategy for how to systematically approach, identify, and close research and development (R&D) gaps/potential issues associated with long-term management and final disposition of AR SNF and other possible AR waste streams. This task involves summarizing advanced reactor concepts, their likely SNF and other waste forms, and identifying previous experience with similar materials, for example from DOE-managed SNF, with closely related characteristics to the potential future AR SNF. Technical R&D gaps between the breadth of detailed understanding for safe storage, transportation and disposal of the existing light water reactor SNF fuel cycle (e.g., see NASEM, 2022) and potential future fuel cycles based on advanced reactors would then be identified. 2. Characterization and Packaging Options of Advanced Reactor SNF These activities evaluate characteristics and packaging options for advanced reactor spent fuel forms. The fuel forms are categorized into three types: (1) tri-structural isotropic (TRISO), (2) metallic, and (3) fuel salt. Emphasis is given to TRISO and metallic SNF and additional waste streams from such AR as driven by the near-term anticipated operation of the Xe-100 and the Natrium reactors as advanced-reactor demonstrations1. Preliminary information for the spent-fuel salt discharged from molten-salt reactors (MSRs) is examined to provide a baseline for future efforts. All calculations and assumptions in this work are based on publicly available information. The following characteristics are calculated or estimated for use in the preliminary assessments: SNF volume and mass, radiation/activity levels through time, thermal conditions through time, potential radionuclide source terms, chemical interactions and evolutions, disposal inventories, and waste-form lifetime. Using those characteristics, calculations to determine the applicability of existing canister designs were performed. These evaluations included geometric (e.g., dimension, volume) and mass/weight considerations, known operational approaches and loading procedures, physical and chemical considerations/conditions for storage environments, as-loaded radiation, thermal, and criticality analyses to identify constraints for storage, transportation, and disposal. 3. Back-End Management of Advanced Reactors (BEMAR) The DOE NE-8 organization has defined an Integrated Project Team to evaluate the Back End Management of Advanced Reactors (BEMAR) (includes DOE staff from a range of organizations (e.g., NE-81, NE-82, OCED) and national laboratory technical staff within the DOE NE-81 and NE-82 programs). This BEMAR group works directly with advance reactors developers to assess for the DOE the technical feasibility of storage, transportation, and disposal of AR SNF based on the characteristics provided by the developers to DOE (much of which is proprietary). The BEMAR is also tasked to develop rough-order-of-magnitude cost estimates to compare the waste management system for individual advanced reactors to existing light-water reactor management practices. To accomplish this, the BEMAR group is implementing a Systems Engineering approach.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Survey of the Worldwide Supply Chain of Commodities Needed for a Quantum Technology Program

Quantum Information Science (QIS) is an emerging technology being pursued by fundamental science research groups worldwide, as well as commercial companies and government programs. There are a variety of QIS disciplines, including quantum computing, quantum sensing and quantum encryption. Some of the commodities needed for a robust quantum laboratory are particular to quantum phenomenon, but in general the equipment needed is similar to that needed for a typical high - technology lab (e.g. oscilloscopes, lasers, vacuum chambers, etc.). This study focuses on identifying commodities manufactured worldwide that would be needed for a robust quantum lab. The authors' own knowledge of needed equipment and primary vendors was used as a starting point, follow ed by extensive internet searching and utilization of buyer's guides to create a large spreadsheet of most of the components needed, the company offering the components, and country of manufacture. With this extensive spreadsheet, stakeholders can identify commodities that would be needed for a quantum lab oratory and potentially identify market choke points.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Advanced Reactor Technology Program Molten Salt Reactor Campaign FY 2018 Summary

In FY 2018, the inaugural Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) Campaign was begun with the US Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Reactor Technology (ART) program. The campaign is led out of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under the direction of Lou Qualls, who serves as the national technical director for the program. The campaign is a revival and refocusing of a significant DOE research program from the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s, which culminated in the operation of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment. The principal objectives of the campaign’s first year were to study and define the current condition of the technology, identify and prioritize technology gaps, and establish a national team of experts to collaboratively address the technical needs. The highest-level objective of the campaign is to facilitate the development and near-term market deployment of MSRs in conjunction with industry partners.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Cluster Dynamics Modeling Needs for the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Program

This milestone report aims to identify and assess the cluster dynamics (CD) modeling requirements within the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) program and to communicate these needs to the DOE-NE Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program. The goal is to ensure NEAMS is well-informed about the CD modeling requirements to support AMMT's mission of accelerating the development, qualification, demonstration, and deployment of advanced structural materials and manufacturing for nuclear energy applications. CD modeling is an essential tool for predicting the degradation of structural materials under irradiation, which is a key component of AMMT's accelerated qualification process. The AMMT program focuses on both additively manufactured and wrought structural alloys, such as laser powder-bed fusion 316H austenitic stainless steel, alloy 709, Haynes 244, and alloy 617. These materials require a generalized CD modeling framework to facilitate rapid model development and computational simulation. A flexible, generalized CD software, similar to the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) finite element framework, would enable modeling of various cluster types, including defect clusters, defect-solute clusters, and multicomponent clusters, incorporating thermodynamics and kinetics parameters. Radiation effects, microstructural feature evolution, and multi-dimensional modeling are critical considerations for the CD model. The usability of the CD code should allow for easy modification and coupling with MOOSE-based simulations. Additionally, the software should adhere to Nuclear Quality Assurance-1 standards, include a testing suite for verification and validation, and be version-controlled within a national laboratory-managed Git repository. Benchmark problems are needed to assess code predictions and performance.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Percheron Power – Small Business Vouchers Pilot Program Technology Assistance Report

Battelle Memorial Institute, under U.S. Department of Energy Contract No. DE-AC05-76RL01830 to operate the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), agreed to provide technology assistance to Percheron Power in accordance with Small Business Vouchers Pilot Program Agreement project number 68798. This agreement w as designed to provide assistance to Percheron Power in performing modeling and simulations for the design and optimization of composite Archimedes hydrodynamic screw (AHS) turbines.

42 ENGINEERING↗

INTREPID program: technology and architecture for next-generation, energy-efficient, hyper-scale data centers [Invited]

The INTREPID program is developing power-efficient coherent optics for package-level integration with future switch integrated circuits as a path to realizing higher-radix switches for flatter networks. The link architecture is underpinned by coherent quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) polarization-multiplex transceivers at 200 Gb/s per λ <#comment/> , further enhanced with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) to enable energy-efficient 800 or 1600 Gb/s inter-switch fiber connections. The technology is compatible with conventional three-level data center designs as well as a two-level data center design introduced here, which includes an added layer of passive, arrayed waveguide grating routers (AWGRs) or WDM circuit switches to further improve the cost, energy efficiency, and latency of the network.

Saleh, Adel A. M. (ORCID:0000000182451136)↗

Low-Temperature Projects of the Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Program: Evaluation and Lessons Learned

This paper discusses opportunities and challenges related to the technical and economic feasibility of developing power generation from geothermal resources at temperatures of 150 degrees C and lower. Insights from projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Geothermal Technologies Office inform these discussions and provide the basis for some lessons learned to help guide decisions by DOE and the industry in further developing this resource. The technical basis for low-temperature geothermal energy is well established and the systems can be economic today in certain situations. However, these applications are far from a 'plug and play' product; successful development today requires a good knowledge of geothermal system design and operation.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Low-Temperature Projects of the Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Program: Evaluation and Lessons Learned: Preprint

This paper discusses opportunities and challenges related to the technical and economic feasibility of developing power generation from geothermal resources at temperatures of 150 degrees C and lower. Insights from projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Geothermal Technologies Office inform these discussions and provide the basis for some lessons learned to help guide decisions by DOE and the industry in further developing this resource. The technical basis for low-temperature geothermal energy is well established and the systems can be economic today in certain situations. However, these applications are far from a 'plug and play' product; successful development today requires a good knowledge of geothermal system design and operation.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Vehicle Technologies Program: Energy Storage R&D (2008 Annual Progress Report)

One of the primary objectives of the Energy Storage effort is the development of durable and affordable advanced batteries (and ultracapacitors) for use in a full range of vehicle applications, from start/stop to full-power HEVs, EVs, and PHEVs. The battery technology development activity spans three areas: system development of full battery systems; benchmark testing of emerging technologies in order to remain abreast of the latest industry developments; and Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) to fund early-stage R&D for small businesses/entrepreneurs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Promoting Domestic and International Consensus on Fossil Energy Technologies – Program Area 2: International Oil and Natural Gas

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy's (FE) Office of Oil and Natural Gas (FE Oil & Gas) works to achieve a more secure energy future through the diversified supply of oil and natural gas resources while minimizing environmental impacts. FE Oil & Gas strives to ensure responsible development of these resources through research, policy analysis, regulation, and international leadership. The Office of Oil and Natural Gas supports research and policy options to ensure environmentally sustainable supplies of oil and natural gas for American consumers. The program conducts international activities that support environmental protection and safety of global oil and gas production. The program also oversees the import and export of oil and natural gas. USEA will help FE Oil & Gas to promote safe and responsible development of oil and natural gas in the United States and in other countries by sharing best practices and advanced technology. This will benefit the public by ensuring reliable, clean and affordable supplies of oil and natural gas in the United States.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Final Report to DOE EERE – Geothermal Technologies Program Project Title: Monitoring and modeling of fluid flow in a developing enhanced geothermal system (EGS) reservoir

The primary objective of this project was to improve our ability to predict performance of an Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) reservoir over time by relating, in a quantitative manner, microseismic imaging with fluid and temperature changes within the reservoir. Historically, microseismic data have been used qualitatively to place bounds on the growth of EGS reservoirs created by large hydraulic fracturing experiments. Previous investigators used an experimentally based fracture opening relationship (fracture aperture as a function of pressure), the spatial extent of microseismic events, and some assumptions about fracture frequency to determine the size of an EGS reservoir created during large pumping tests. We addressed a number of issues (1) locating microearthquakes that occur during hydraulic fracturing, (2) obtaining more information about a reservoir than the microearthquake locations from the microearthquake data, for example, information about the seismic velocity structure of the reservoir or the scattering of seismic waves within the reservoir, (3) developing an improved methodology for estimating properties of fractures that intersect wellbores in a reservoir, and (4) developing a conceptual model for explaining the downward growth of observed seismicity that accompanies some hydraulic injections into geothermal reservoirs. We used two primary microseismic datasets for our work. The work was motivated by a dataset from the Salak Geothermal Field in Indonesia where seismicity accompanying a hydraulic injection was observed to migrate downward. We also used data from the Soultz EGS site in France. We also used Vertical Seismic Profiling data from a well in the United States. The work conducted is of benefit for characterizing reservoirs that are created by hydraulic fracturing for both EGS and for petroleum recovery.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Summary of RF Technology Program Activities, October 2013 - September 2017

The goals of the National RF Research and Development Program (NRRDP) are to advance the basic understanding of high-power radio frequency (RF) in a plasma environment, and to maintain the high-power transmitters and cooling water systems required to support the ITER Ion Cylcotron Range of Frequencies (ICRF) transmission line high power component testing and operation of the Proto-Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX) device. The work includes the study of the RF sheath, and development of RF-related diagnostics. These include active and passive spectroscopic diagnostics that can provide local and line integrated measurements of RF and Direct Current (DC) electric fields in the edge plasma of fusion devices, as well as measurements of other parameters. One of these, the Doppler Free Saturation Spectroscopy (DFSS) diagnostic, utilizes a laser beam split into two intersecting, counter-propagating pump and probe beams, whose intersection defines the measurement region. DFSS has demonstrated measurements of atomic spectra with 500 times greater resolution than passive Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES). This allows Stark effect based electric field measurements to be made with two orders of magnitude high sensitivity than with OES. Measurements have been made using an ORNL electron-cyclotron resonant (ECR) plasma source producing densities up to 10 19 m -3 , in the vicinity of an RF-biased planar electrode.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗