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At least 181 records · Page 10

An Evaluation of the Impact of Glycolate and Glycolate Mitigation on the Defense Waste Processing Facility Recycle Diversion Project Flowsheet

The Savannah River Site (SRS) Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) processes radioactive High Level Waste (HLW) sludge solids from the Concentration, Storage, and Transfer Facilities (CSTF); which includes the SRS Tank Farm and Evaporator facilities, and a concentrated Cs-137 laden stream and a Monosodium Titanate (MST) and sludge solids stream from the SRS Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). The waste is chemically adjusted with acids and reductant (currently with 50 wt.% nitric acid and ~90 wt.% formic acid, but eventually formic acid will be substituted with ~70 wt.% glycolic acid), and frit is added so that a durable, borosilicate glass waste form can be produced when the material is vitrified in the melter. As a result of the evaporation of water during both the melter feed preparation and the melter feed vitrification steps in DWPF, a recycle waste stream is generated, neutralized, and sent back to the CSTF. The recycle waste is a dilute aqueous stream originating from the collection of condensate liquids containing some minor sludge, MST, and frit solids and other waste components resulting from melter feed entrainment during foamover events and transfer of volatile species into the condensate. The recycle stream volume is significant and is expected to approach 3 million gallons per year once SWPF reaches full operation, requiring the use of multiple large CSTF tanks for storage. The recycle waste is currently collected in the SRS Tank Farm and periodically evaporated in the 242-16H (2H) Evaporator to conserve storage space.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Uncertainty-Guided Prediction Horizon of Phase-Resolved Ocean Wave Forecasting Under Data Sparsity: Experimental and Numerical Evaluation

Accurate short-term wave forecasting is critical for the safe and efficient operation of marine structures that rely on real-time, phase-resolved ocean wave information for control and monitoring purposes (e.g., digital twins). These systems often depend on environmental sensors (e.g., waverider buoys, wave-sensing LIDAR). Challenges arise when upstream sensor data are missing, sparse, or phase-shifted due to drift. This study investigates the performance of two machine learning models, time-series dense encoder (TiDE) and long short-term memory (LSTM), for forecasting phase-resolved ocean surface elevations under varying degrees of data degradation. We introduce the τ-trimming algorithm, which adapts the prediction horizon based on uncertainty thresholds derived from historical forecasts. Numerical wave tank (NWT) and wave basin experiments are used to benchmark model performance under short- and long-term data masking, spatially coarse sensor grids, and upstream phase shifts. Results show under a 50% probability of upstream data loss, the τ-trimmed TiDE model achieves a 46% reduction in error at the most upstream target, compared to 22% for LSTM. Furthermore, phase misalignment in upstream data introduces a near-linear increase in forecast error. Under moderate model settings, a ±3 s misalignment increases the mean absolute error by approximately 0.5 m, while the same error is accumulated at ±4 s using the more conservative approach. These findings inform the design of resilient, uncertainty-aware wave forecasting systems suited for realistic offshore sensing environments.

42 ENGINEERING↗

STS-1 operational flight profile. Volume 5: Descent cycle 3. Appendix D: GRTLS six degree of freedom Monte Carlo dispersion analysis

The results of a six degree of freedom (6-DOF) nonlinear Monte Carlo dispersion analysis for the latest glide return to landing site (GRTLS) abort trajectory for the Space Transportation System 1 Flight are presented. For this GRTLS, the number two main engine fails at 262.5 seconds ground elapsed time. Fifty randomly selected simulations, initialized at external tank separation, are analyzed. The initial covariance matrix is a 20 x 20 matrix and includes navigation errors and dispersions in position and velocity, time, accelerometer bias, and inertial platform misalinements. In all 50 samples, speedbrake, rudder, elevon, and body flap hinge moments are acceptable. Transitions to autoland begin before 9,000 feet and there are no tailscrapes. Navigation derived dynamic pressure accuracies exceed the flight control system constraints above Mach 2.5. Three out of 50 landings exceeded tire specification limit speed of 222 knots. Pilot manual landings are expected to reduce landing speed by landing farther downrange.

Montez, M. N.↗

Plutonium Solubility and Supernate Concentration for Neutralized Fast Critical Assembly Discards to Savannah River Site Tank Waste

The Savannah River Site (SRS) plans to dissolve non-irradiated stainless steel (SS)-clad bundles of Fast Critical Assembly (FCA) materials in eighteen batches.1 FCA dissolution is currently underway in the 6.3D dissolver by simultaneous chemical and electrolytic dissolution, which is required to generate the harsh conditions necessary for dissolution of metal-oxide (MOX) and non-aluminum spent nuclear fuels (NASNFs).2 Nitric acid and potassium fluoride are used to promote chemical dissolution.2 Gadolinium will be added during processing as a thermal neutron poison for criticality control. There are no plans for recovering plutonium from this waste stream. After FCA dissolution, the acidic (HNO3/KF) “discards” containing the dissolved metals will be neutralized by addition of 50 wt% sodium hydroxide to a final free hydroxide concentration of 1.2 M.1 Neutralization will precipitate a slurry of insoluble solids, predominantly metal oxides/hydroxides of plutonium, uranium, and SS components. Small fractions of the SS components, Pu, U, and Gd will remain dissolved in the supernate. The neutralized slurry will be composited to existing radioactive waste storage tanks within the SRS Concentration, Storage, and Transfer Facilities (CSTF) containing other similar sludge batch (SB) materials.1 The fate of soluble plutonium and freshly-precipitated, colloidal plutonium from this process are of concern since the total Pu can challenge the waste acceptance criteria (WAC) at the downstream SRS Liquid Waste (LW) facility. Supernate decants including the neutralized FCA discards (nFCAd) within the CSTF will be composited with salt batch (StB) materials and transferred to the SRS Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF), where total plutonium is also of concern.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

External tank gaseous oxygen line simulated lightning tests

Tests were made to evaluate the effects of lightning strikes on the shuttle external tank gaseous oxygen pressurization line. This line, designed to conduct gaseous oxygen may also act as a lightning conductor. Questions have been raised as to the potential hazard of this line as a lightning conductor with speculation as to the damage that might occur to the pressurization line, and the adjacent thermal protective surfaces, from a lightning strike. The region of investigation was from above the cone of the launch tower lightning protection to 15.24 km (50, 000 ft) altitude. Tests were performed on samples of thin wall stainless steel tubing filled with gaseous oxygen under simulated flight conditions. No specimen malfunctions occurred when the tests were conducted according to JSC specifications. Based on the JSC specifications and the results of these tests, it is concluded that a lightning strike will not cause a malfunction of the shuttle external tank gaseous oxygen line made of the representative material tested.

Smith, H. E.↗

Superfluid Helium Tanker (SFHT) study

Replenishment of superfluid helium (SFHe) offers the potential of extending the on-orbit life of observatories, satellite instruments, sensors and laboratories which operate in the 2 K temperature regime. A reference set of resupply customers was identified as representing realistic helium servicing requirements and interfaces for the first 10 years of superfluid helium tanker (SFHT) operations. These included the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF), the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), the Particle Astrophysics Magnet Facility (Astromag), and the Microgravity and Materials Processing Sciences Facility (MMPS)/Critical Point Phenomena Facility (CPPF). A mixed-fleet approach to SFHT utilization was considered. The tanker permits servicing from the Shuttle cargo bay, in situ when attached to the OMV and carried to the user spacecraft, and as a depot at the Space Station. A SFHT Dewar ground servicing concept was developed which uses a dedicated ground cooling heat exchanger to convert all the liquid, after initial fill as normal fluid, to superfluid for launch. This concept permits the tanker to be filled to a near full condition, and then cooled without any loss of fluid. The final load condition can be saturated superfluid with any desired ullage volume, or the tank can be totally filed and pressurized. The SFHT Dewar and helium plumbing system design has sufficient component redundancy to meet fail-operational, fail-safe requirements, and is designed structurally to meet a 50 mission life usage requirement. Technology development recommendations were made for the selected SFHT concept, and a Program Plan and cost estimate prepared for a phase C/D program spanning 72 months from initiation through first launch in 1997.

Eberhardt, Ralph N.↗

Chemically rechargeable battery

Batteries (50) containing oxidized, discharged metal electrodes such as an iron-air battery are charged by removing and storing electrolyte in a reservoir (98), pumping fluid reductant such as formalin (aqueous formaldehyde) from a storage tank (106) into the battery in contact with the surfaces of the electrodes. After sufficient iron hydroxide has been reduced to iron, the spent reductant is drained, the electrodes rinsed with water from rinse tank (102) and then the electrolyte in the reservoir (106) is returned to the battery. The battery can be slowly electrically charged when in overnight storage but can be quickly charged in about 10 minutes by the chemical procedure of the invention.

Graf, James E.↗

Nuclear Thermal Rocket/Vehicle Characteristics And Sensitivity Trades For NASA's Mars Design Reference Architecture (DRA) 5.0 Study

This paper summarizes Phase I and II analysis results from NASA's recent Mars DRA 5.0 study which re-examined mission, payload and transportation system requirements for a human Mars landing mission in the post-2030 timeframe. Nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) propulsion was again identified as the preferred in-space transportation system over chemical/aerobrake because of its higher specific impulse (I(sub sp)) capability, increased tolerance to payload mass growth and architecture changes, and lower total initial mass in low Earth orbit (IMLEO) which is important for reducing the number of Ares-V heavy lift launches and overall mission cost. DRA 5.0 features a long surface stay (approximately 500 days) split mission using separate cargo and crewed Mars transfer vehicles (MTVs). All vehicles utilize a common core propulsion stage with three 25 klbf composite fuel NERVA-derived NTR engines (T(sub ex) approximately 2650 - 2700 K, p(sub ch) approximately 1000 psia, epsilon approximately 300:1, I(sub sp) approximately 900 - 910 s, engine thrust-toweight ratio approximately 3.43) to perform all primary mission maneuvers. Two cargo flights, utilizing 1-way minimum energy trajectories, pre-deploy a cargo lander to the surface and a habitat lander into a 24-hour elliptical Mars parking orbit where it remains until the arrival of the crewed MTV during the next mission opportunity (approximately 26 months later). The cargo payload elements aerocapture (AC) into Mars orbit and are enclosed within a large triconicshaped aeroshell which functions as payload shroud during launch, then as an aerobrake and thermal protection system during Mars orbit capture and subsequent entry, descent and landing (EDL) on Mars. The all propulsive crewed MTV is a 0-gE vehicle design that utilizes a fast conjunction trajectory that allows approximately 6-7 month 1-way transit times to and from Mars. Four 12.5 kW(sub e) per 125 square meter rectangular photovoltaic arrays provide the crewed MTV with approximately 50 kW(sub e) of electrical power in Mars orbit for crew life support and spacecraft subsystem needs. Vehicle assembly involves autonomous Earth orbit rendezvous and docking between the propulsion stages, in-line propellant tanks and payload elements. Nine Ares-V launches -- five for the two cargo MTVs and four for the crewed MTV -- deliver the key components for the three MTVs. Details on mission, payload, engine and vehicle characteristics and requirements are presented and the results of key trade studies are discussed.

Borowski, Stanley K.↗

Relationship Between the Marginal Probability of Failure for a CPP Test and the Recommended Corrosion Control Requirements for Hanford Double Shell Waste Tanks

The Hanford Site in Washington State currently stores millions of gallons of radioactive waste in underground, carbon steel, double shell tanks (DSTs) that were constructed between 1968 and 1986. A chemistry control and monitoring program has been established mitigate corrosion in order to extend the service life for the DSTs. The current waste temperatures in the DSTs are at historical lows (i.e., typically less than 50 °C). The previous chemistry control requirements were determined for conditions at temperatures significantly higher. SRNL undertook a statistically based investigation of the role of nitrate and halide ion (i.e., chloride and fluoride) induced pitting corrosion. The objective was to develop a comprehensive waste chemistry envelope for the simultaneous minimization of the pitting and SCC risks caused by halide and nitrate ions at the lower temperature conditions. On the basis of these tests, new chemistry control requirements were proposed and have since been implemented for pitting corrosion control.

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A section 110 evaluation of the huron king test chamber, area 3, nevada national security site, nye county, nevada

The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office tasked Desert Research Institute (DRI) with the identification and evaluation of the Huron King Test Chamber as part of their cultural resources program obligations under Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The Huron King nuclear test was a vertical line-of-sight weapons effects test that took place in Area 3 on June 24, 1980. Unique to this event was a specially designed aboveground test chamber that held a model defense communications satellite in a vacuum tank meant to replicate the space environment. Sponsored by the Defense Nuclear Agency, the purpose of the experiment was to understand the response of the satellite and its materials and equipment to an electromagnetic pulse and attendant radiation. Between July and August 2022, DRI conducted an archival review on the Huron King experiment and its associated test chamber. Subsequently, pedestrian fieldwork was undertaken at the Huron King Test Chamber by DRI on September 29, 2022. During fieldwork, the outside of the test chamber was documented using a Nevada State Historic Preservation Office Architectural Resource Assessment form. This effort included verifying the substructures that compose the test chamber as determined by the archival review, as well as obtaining a detailed photographic recordation of the exterior and assessing its current condition. Notably, the site where the Huron King test took place has been abandoned and almost entirely naturalized. All of the portable instrumentation trailers, communications and data cabling, and winch systems used to retract the test chamber following the detonation were removed after completion of the experiment in 1980. Only the subsidence crater and the test chamber remain as physical evidence of this experiment. Based on these findings, DRI recommends that the Huron King Test Chamber is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) at the local level under Significance Criteria A and C and that it meets Criteria Consideration G for properties less than 50 years old.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Very High-Speed Digital Video Capability for In-Flight Use

digital video camera system has been qualified for use in flight on the NASA supersonic F-15B Research Testbed aircraft. This system is capable of very-high-speed color digital imaging at flight speeds up to Mach 2. The components of this system have been ruggedized and shock-mounted in the aircraft to survive the severe pressure, temperature, and vibration of the flight environment. The system includes two synchronized camera subsystems installed in fuselage-mounted camera pods (see Figure 1). Each camera subsystem comprises a camera controller/recorder unit and a camera head. The two camera subsystems are synchronized by use of an MHub(TradeMark) synchronization unit. Each camera subsystem is capable of recording at a rate up to 10,000 pictures per second (pps). A state-of-the-art complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) sensor in the camera head has a maximum resolution of 1,280 1,024 pixels at 1,000 pps. Exposure times of the electronic shutter of the camera range from 1/200,000 of a second to full open. The recorded images are captured in a dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and can be downloaded directly to a personal computer or saved on a compact flash memory card. In addition to the high-rate recording of images, the system can display images in real time at 30 pps. Inter Range Instrumentation Group (IRIG) time code can be inserted into the individual camera controllers or into the M-Hub unit. The video data could also be used to obtain quantitative, three-dimensional trajectory information. The first use of this system was in support of the Space Shuttle Return to Flight effort. Data were needed to help in understanding how thermally insulating foam is shed from a space shuttle external fuel tank during launch. The cameras captured images of simulated external tank debris ejected from a fixture mounted under the centerline of the F-15B aircraft. Digital video was obtained at subsonic and supersonic flight conditions, including speeds up to Mach 2 and altitudes up to 50,000 ft (15.24 km). The digital video was used to determine the structural survivability of the debris in a real flight environment and quantify the aerodynamic trajectories of the debris.

Corda, Stephen↗

Seasonality and Declining Intensity of Methane Emissions from the Permian and Nearby US Oil and Gas Basins

We quantify weekly methane emissions and trends from oil and gas production in the US Permian Basin for 2019-2023, and in nearby basins for 2022-2023, by analytical inversion of Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) satellite observations with the Integrated Methane Inversion (IMI) at 25 km resolution. Permian oil and gas emissions averaged 4.0 ± 1.1 Tg a-1 over 2019-2023, with large seasonal variation but little interannual variability. Methane intensity fell from 5.2 to 3.2% as production surged. Intensity in the New Mexico Permian fell from 4.5 to 2.1%, approaching the state's 2026 target of <2%. Emissions were on average 50 ± 10% higher in winter than summer, which we corroborate with Permian Basin Tower Network measurements, Insight M aircraft data, and GHGSat satellite observations. This seasonality may be driven in part by higher winter emissions from liquid storage tanks due to decreased separator efficiency in cold conditions. Similar but weaker seasonality along with decreasing emissions and intensities is found in weekly inversions for the Anadarko, Barnett, Eagle Ford, and Haynesville basins in 2022-2023. Our work suggests that better weatherization of oil and gas facilities could significantly reduce methane emissions.

Permian↗

Initial operation of a solar heating and cooling system in a full-scale solar building test facility

The Solar Building Test Facility (SBTF) was constructed to advance the technology for heating and cooling of office buildings with solar energy. Its purposes are to (1) test system components which include high-performing collectors, (2) test the performance of a complete solar heating and cooling system, (3) investigate component interactions, and (4) investigate durability, maintenance and reliability of components. The SBTF consists of a 50,000 square foot office building modified to accept solar heated water for operation of an absorption air conditioner and for the baseboard heating system. A 12,666 square foot solar collector field with a 30,000 gallon storage tank provides the solar heated water. A description of the system and the collectors selected is printed along with the objectives, test approach, expected system performance, and some preliminary results.

Knoll, R. H.↗

Initial operation of a solar heating and cooling system in a full-scale solar building test facility

The Solar Building Test Facility (SBTF) located at Hampton, Virginia became operational in early summer of 1976. This facility is a joint effort by NASA-Lewis and NASA-Langley to advance the technology for heating and cooling of office buildings with solar energy. Its purposes are to (1) test system components which include high-performing collectors, (2) test performance of complete solar heating and cooling system, (3) investigate component interactions and (4) investigate durability, maintenance and reliability of components. The SBTF consists of a 50,000 square foot office building modified to accept solar heated water for operation of an absorption air conditioner and for the baseboard heating system. A 12,666 square foot solar collector field with a 30,000 gallon storage tank provides the solar heated water. A description of the system and the collectors selected is given here, along with the objectives, test approach, expected system performance and some preliminary results.

Knoll, R. H.↗

Lightweight Motorized Valve

Redesigned actuator assembly weighs 50 percent less. Isolator valve operated by ac motor instead of usual dc solenoid. Valve weighs only 3 lb (1.4 kg). New valve functions with either two-phase or three-phase power. Developed for isolating fluids in propellant tanks, manifolds, and interconnecting lines of Space Shuttle reaction control and orbital maneuvering subsystems, valve suited to applications in which leakage must be kept to minimum at high pressure differences - in petroleum and chemical processing.

Gonzalez, R.↗

Ion Exchange Processing of AN-107 Hanford Tank Waste through Crystalline Silicotitanate in a Staged 2- then 3-Column System

The Hanford Site stores an estimated 56 million gallons of mixed radioactive and chemically hazardous waste in large underground tanks. In support of the Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) Program for expediting Hanford tank waste supernate treatment, laboratory-scale ion exchange processing using prototypic unit operations was conducted on AN-107 tank waste at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Radiochemical Processing Laboratory. This report describes the small-scale ion exchange testing with 13.7 L of diluted and filtered supernate from Tank 241-AN-107 (hereafter referred to as AN-107) at 16 °C (62 °F). One of the waste acceptance criteria (WAC) for the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) Low-Activity Waste Facility is that the waste must contain less than 3.18×10 -5 Ci 137 Cs per mole of Na. For the AN-107 tank waste to meet this criterion, only 0.147% of the influent 137 Cs concentration may be delivered to the WTP; this requires a Cs decontamination factor of 678. Testing with AN-107 matched current Tank Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) facility prototypic operations where a lead-lag configuration was used until the lag column reached the WAC limit, then a polish column was brought online for continued processing in a lead-lag-polish column configuration. Feed was processed at 1.9 bed volumes (BVs) per hour; the flowrate, in terms of contact time with the crystalline silicotitanate (CST) bed, matched the expected flowrate at TSCR. The Cs-decontaminated product was retained for vitrification testing (to be reported separately). The lead column reached 40% Cs breakthrough after processing ~1700 BVs of feed; the 50% Cs breakthrough was extrapolated from the breakthrough data to occur at 1873 BVs. Testing compared to previous AP-101 and AP-107 testing at 16 °C showed ~300 BV increases in volume processed to reach the WAC limit for both lead and lag columns. The increase in capacity was determined to be due to the significantly lower K concentration in the AN-107 compared to the other tank waste matrices. A comparison in breakthrough curves for the three tests indicated slightly slower kinetic behavior in the AN-107, with variations in feed matrices (high organic complexants) likely responsible for the deviation. The Cs effluent from the lag column reached the WAC limit after processing 1097 BVs. Anticipating this breakthrough point, the polish column was preemptively installed around 900 BVs. Cs breakthrough from the lag column began at 500 BVs, reaching 3.06×10 0 µCi/mL, or 2.6 % Cs breakthrough, after processing all 1700 BVs of feed. Table S.1 and Figure S.1 summarize the observed column performance and relevant Cs loading characteristics.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

A Multibody Slosh Analysis for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) undergoes a series of thruster maneuvers to attain lunar orbit. The first of the series of lunar orbit insertion (LOI) maneuvers is crucial to the success of the mission. Therefore, it is important to characterize the disturbances acting on the spacecraft during this phase of the mission. This paper focuses on the internal disturbance force caused by fuel slosh and its impact on attitude control. During the first LOI maneuver (LOI-1), approximately 50% of the total fuel mass is used or roughly 25% of the spacecraft s wet mass, during the 38-minute burn. The forces imparted on the spacecraft from the fuel are dependent on the fill level of the two fuel tanks. During LOI-1, the fill level in both tanks varies greatly and thus so does the disturbance level caused by the fuel. It is therefore necessary to account for the time-varying mass properties of the spacecraft and the effects of the varying fuel levels during the entire 38-minute maneuver. Two simulations are developed in Mathworks s Simulink to analyze the fuel slosh effect. The first model, a baseline model, is a rigid body dynamics model where the fuel slosh is not modeled. The second is a multibody model, developed using a multibody dynamics toolbox, where each of the two fuel tanks and the remaining spacecraft body are treated as separate rigid bodies. The simulations are executed in a piece-wise fashion to account for the time-varying mass properties, and to accommodate the multibody toolbox. Disturbances caused by fuel slosh during both lunar and mission orbit insertions will be analyzed through simulation of different dynamics models. Results of the analysis will show the effects of the slosh disturbance on the spacecraft s attitude.

Shah, Neerav↗

Heat transfer tests of a 0.006-scale thin skin space shuttle model (50-0, 41-T) in the Langley Research Center nitrogen tunnel at Mach 19 (IH19)

Data are presented from heat transfer tests on an 0.0006-scale space shuttle vehicle in the Langley Research Center Nitrogen Tunnel. The purpose of this test was to obtain ascent heating data at a high hypersonic Mach number. Configurations tested were integrated orbiter and external tank, orbiter alone, and external tank alone. All configurations were tested with and without boundary layer transition. Testing was conducted at a Mach number of 19, a Reynolds number of 0.5 million per foot, and angles of attack of 0, + or - 5, and + or - 10 degrees. Heat transfer data was obtained from 77 orbiter and 90 external tank iron-constantan thermocouples.

Walstad, D. G.↗