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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

DOE/NNSA Nuclear Criticality Safety Program – Brief Overview [Slides]

This presentation discusses nuclear data measurements and evaluation work for the NCSP. The objective of the NCSP is to provide measured and evaluated thermal, resonance, unresolved resonance, and fast region cross section data to address the priority NCSP nuclear data needs. It also discusses its vision which is to address multiple Nuclear Data 5- and 10-year goals and attributes identified in the NCSP. The intended final product is for rigorous ENDF/B evaluations to be produced from cross section measurements and analyses. It also discusses NCSP integral experiments and differential experiments in addition to NCSP support of SCALE in the future.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

An Approach for Validating Actinide and Fission Product Burnup Credit Criticality Safety Analyses: Criticality (k eff ) Predictions

One of the most important remaining challenges associated with expanded implementation of burnup credit in the United States is the validation of depletion and criticality calculations used in the safety evaluation—in particular, the availability and use of applicable measured data to support validation, especially for fission products (FPs). Applicants and regulatory reviewers have been constrained by both a scarcity of data and a lack of clear technical basis or approach for use of the data. In this study, this paper describes a validation approach for commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) criticality safety (k eff ) evaluations based on best-available data and methods and applies the approach for representative SNF storage and transport configurations/conditions to demonstrate its usage and applicability, as well as to provide reference bias results. The criticality validation approach utilizes not only available laboratory critical experiment (LCE) data from the International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments and the French Haut Taux de Combustion program to support validation of the principal actinides but also calculated sensitivities, nuclear data uncertainties, and limited available FP LCE data to predict and verify individual biases for relevant minor actinides and FPs. The results demonstrate that (a) sufficient critical experiment data exist to adequately validate k eff calculations via conventional validation approaches for the primary actinides, (b) sensitivity-based critical experiment selection is more appropriate for generating accurate application model bias and uncertainty, and (c) calculated sensitivities and nuclear data uncertainties can be used for generating conservative estimates of bias for minor actinides and FPs. Results based on the SCALE 6.1 and the ENDF/B-VII.0 cross-section libraries indicate that a conservative estimate of the bias for the minor actinides and FPs is 1.5% of their worth within the application model. Finally, this paper provides a detailed description of the approach and its technical bases, describes the application of the approach for representative pressurized water reactor and boiling water reactor safety analysis models, and provides reference bias results based on the prerelease SCALE 6.1 code package and ENDF/B-VII nuclear cross-section data.

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DOE OSTI2015

Study of treatment as an alternative WM pathway: examples of I-graphite and metallic components such as steam generators - 15212

EDF is working continuously to optimize and secure its waste management pathways, leading in some case to develop appropriate treatment solutions that could be implemented parallel to reference solutions, complementary or as alternative solutions to already existing paths. This approach is illustrated by the examples of steam generators replaced during the operation of French PWR power plants, and of irradiated graphite (stacks and sleeves), coming from the decommissioning of UNGG reactors, which have been shut down. Concerning graphite wastes, the near surface disposal facility intended for this waste does not exist yet, and is currently giving rise to the research of a suitable site, and an evaluation of its performances. While accompanying ANDRA (French national agency for nuclear waste management), in charge of the development of the facility, and while waiting for more data to be available, EDF is continuing the consolidation of graphite wastes radiological inventory, and is working on the development of an alternative management solution, based on a thermal treatment process. Depending on the nature of the treatment, and on the choice of operating parameters, this treatment may contribute to reduce graphite wastes volume and/or promote its acceptance in a disposal facility. Reducing the radiological inventory by decontamination is one of the means to achieve these objectives. Concerning replaced steam generators, nearly 200 of them will have been removed by 2030, and stored on site waiting for their treatment, which represents about 65 000 tons of metal. Initially intended to be cut and packed on NPPs' sites during their dismantling, EDF is studying the economic value of having the steam generators treated in a centralized facility, which allows reducing the volume of final wastes by optimizing cutting operations, while considering recycling after melting. However, this studied pathway implies a number of difficulties to be overcome. In particular, the shipment of such large components to a centralized facility may be complex. Moreover, French regulatory framework does not allow recycling outside nuclear industry, therefore limiting recycling opportunities to storage containers for radioactive wastes. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2016

Optimized design of reactor cores for continuous operation of Belgian nuclear power plants

Two Belgian nuclear power plants, owned and operated by Electrabel, were initially planned to be phased out in 2015, reaching their maximum life time of operation by the initial design. The fuel management of those two units has been subsequently designed by Tractebel to make the best use of the energy in the fuel assemblies either in the core or in the storage pool and to minimize the size of the fresh reloads in the terminating cycles. However, for ensuring energy security in Belgium, the Government decided in the same year to extend the life time of operation of the two units for 10 years, which raised the need to resume their continuous operation, in the opposite direction of the core contents and with a significant break in the usual sequence of cycle reloads. All this required adaptation of the tools and process for optimized reactor core design, in order to ensure the continuous and flexible operation of those units. The Tractebel LWRWIMS-PANTHER (LWP) core physics package is based on the 3-dimensional (3D) neutronic code PANTHER and the lattice code LWRWIMS for the generation of the assembly nuclear data. Both have been qualified by Tractebel for the Belgian Units to perform a complete range of PWR reactor calculations for fuel management design safety parameters assessment, transient analysis and operational support. In-core fuel management involves calculating core reactivity, power distribution and isotopic inventory for subsequent fuel cycles of a nuclear power plant in order to maintain adequate safety margins and operating lifetime for each core loading. This paper presents Tractebel's improved core design tools and process, the approach to optimize the reactor core design, and the applications to the 2 successive but opposite design requirements.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

FY 2025 Multidimensional Data Correlation Platform: Unified Software Architecture for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Data Management and Processing

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) program continues to advance a data-driven approach to demonstrate the utility of additive manufacturing for fabricating components for nuclear applications. A key scientific goal is to leverage data to better understand manufacturing outcomes and thereby improve the performance, reliability, and lifespan of nuclear components. Ultimately, this effort supports the development of standards for certification and qualification of additively manufactured components, enabling broader industry adoption. In support of this objective, the AMMT program is building and deploying a data management platform to record, index, analyze, and make available the manufacturing data generated across the AMMT program. In FY 2023, the team conceptualized the architecture of the platform and, in FY 2024, deployed the first functional version at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF). In FY 2025, the platform was officially opened to all AMMT members. To enable this expansion, core modifications and enhancements were developed, including improvements to the user interface and workflows for data entry and retrieval. Most notably, robust security and access control mechanisms were implemented to protect data and manage information sharing. This effort featured a logging system, protected views, and controlled access mechanisms. This report documents these enhancements and the transition of the platform into program-wide use.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Data Analysis for NEPA Supplement Analysis of Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Building Replacement Project at LANL - 16017

The Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) is proposing to provide analytical chemistry (AC) and materials characterization (MC) capabilities at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) by using a combination of existing space in two existing buildings: The Radiological Laboratory/Utility/Office Building (RLUOB) and the Plutonium Facility, Building 4 (PF-4) in TA-55. This represents a change from decisions made by DOE as informed by previous National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyses. In accordance with Council on Environmental Quality and DOE requirements, NNSA prepared a Supplement Analysis to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the proposed action. The focus of this analysis is on determining whether the proposal to provide AC and MC laboratory capabilities in existing space in RLUOB and PF-4 rather than building a new nuclear facility is a substantial change that is relevant to environmental concerns or whether new circumstance or information relevant to environmental concerns and bearing on the proposed action or its impacts are significant. The determination of the analysis is that the existing Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Building Replacement Environmental Impact Statement (CMRR EIS) need not be supplemented, nor is a new EIS required, because 'the proposed changes do not represent a substantial change that is relevant to environmental concerns.'[1 p.49] No further NEPA analysis is necessary. This report describes the analysis used to create data needed for the Supplement Analysis. Los Alamos subject matter experts estimated equipment lists, facility modifications, waste quantities, labor needs and radiological doses. Los Alamos NEPA experts assisted in compiling existing data from the LANL Site-Wide EIS and CMRR EIS for public and other impacts. Bounding conditions were used to determine NEPA estimates. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Guest Editorial for Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation (NDT&E) Special Section

Nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) are interdisciplinary fields that require a significant amount of interconnection between fundamental physics, measurement techniques, data processing, decision making, and reporting to have a significant impact on industry. NDT&E practitioners are challenged to keep up with the fast-paced evolution of materials, structures, processing, and manufacturing technologies. The development of engineered materials, complex structures and composites, and novel forming techniques require NDT&E to rapidly evolve to meet the needs of industry.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Using EPA's Risk Assessment Tools for Superfund When Addressing Removal Actions and Late-Phase Response to Terrorist Attacks - 18228

EPA's Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI) has three internet based calculators, or risk assessment models, for developing risk based Preliminary Remediation Goals (PRGs) for radioactively contaminated CERCLA sites. These PRG calculators are EPA's recommended methodology for developing risk-based concentrations for remedial actions for soil and water (PRG), inside buildings (BPRG), and outside hard surfaces (SPRG). EPA has three equivalent calculators for dose assessment, which are the Dose Compliance Concentration (DCC) calculator for soil and water, inside buildings (BDCC), and outside hard surfaces (SDCC). The three PRG calculators also include default PRG tables provided for each of the calculators showing concentrations corresponding to 1 x 10-6 when the calculators are run using all of their default parameters. This presentation will provide information on how users may employ these tools beyond their original intended uses in the remedial program, to develop risk based cleanup levels during the late-phase portion of an actual response after a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) or Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) terrorist attack or a major accident at a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), or a simulation during an exercise of an RDD/IND/NPP event, they may want to run the calculator using more site-specific data. This presentation will provide information on how users may employ these tools beyond their original intended uses in the remedial program, and focus on some of the more conservative default parameters that are likely candidates for replacement by site-specific information. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2022

EUCLID Sensitivity Database

This report documents the EUCLID sensitivity database along with its several use-cases. EUCLID computed sensitivities for the following integral responses: Criticality of ICSBEP critical assemblies, LLNL pulsed-sphere neutron-leakage spectra, reaction rates in selected ICBSEP critical assemblies, delayed neutron factions of selected ICSBEP critical assemblies, reactivity coefficients in two ICSBEP critical assemblies, sub-critical assembly responses and Rossi-alpha of selected critical assemblies. It is described for each response what the reported observable constitutes, the method we used to obtain the sensitivities, and which integral experiments were studied. It is also documented briefly in what format these sensitivities are stored. These sensitivities were used for many aspects of the EUCLID project, like ML-supported large-scale nuclear-data validation, or optimization of integral experiments. But these sensitivities can also be applied for more established processes in the nuclear-data application field such as adjustment or assessing the upper sub-critical limit.

Delayed Neutron Fraction↗
DOE OSTI2020

On-Line Waste Library Supporting Information

The On - Line Waste Library is a website that contains information regarding United States Department of Energy-managed high-level waste, spent nuclear fuel, and other wastes that are likely candidates for deep geologic disposal, with links to supporting documents for the data. This report provides supporting information for the data for which an already published source was not available.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2018

On-Line Waste Library Supporting Information

The On-Line Waste Library is a website that contains information regarding United States Department of Energy-managed high-level waste, spent nuclear fuel, and other wastes that are likely candidates for deep geologic disposal, with links to supporting documents for the data. This report provides supporting information for the data for which an already published source was not available.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Results of time-of-flight transmission measurements for 142 Ce at a 50 m station of GELINA

Transmission measurements have been performed at the time-of-flight facility GELINA to provide data for a new evaluation of neutron resonance parameters for 142 Ce. The measurements were carried out at a 50 m transmission station using a Li-glass scintillator with the accelerator operating at 400 Hz. This report provides the experimental details required to deliver the data to the EXFOR data library, maintained by the International Network of Nuclear Reaction Data Centres (NRDC). The experimental conditions and data reduction procedures are described. In addition, the full covariance information based on the AGS concept is given such that resonance parameters together with their covariances can be derived in a least-squares adjustment to the data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Data Collection Plan to Populate the Light Water Reactor Sustainability Failure Mode Degradation Library

Interest in implementing advanced Prognostic Health Management (PHM) systems in commercial nuclear power plants (NPPs) has increased rapidly in recent years, with an overarching goal of implementing of improving the safety, reliability, and economics/profitability of the aging nuclear fleet and extending their service life in the most cost-effective manner. The PHM system utilizes prognostic tools to estimate the remaining useful life (RUL) of a component or system of components based on current and predicted operating conditions. An effective implementation of the PHM system will anticipate and identify unique age-dependent degradation modes to provide early warning of emerging problems. Selection of the components and structures to be monitored is a crucial step for successful PHM implementation in NPPs. A selection framework is recommended for risk significant components (both safety-related and non-safety related) based on the Fussell-Vesely (F-V) Importance Measure and the Risk Achievement Worth (RAW) measure. For the selected components, a failure mode degradation library will be developed consisting of data corresponding to different failure/degradation modes. In lieu of constructing an expensive scaled test facility, several data sources are identified for populating the failure mode degradation library, including various national laboratories, universities, agencies, and industries.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Overview of Activities in the U.S. Related to Continued Service of NPP Concrete Structures

Safety-related nuclear power plant concrete structures are described and commentary on continued service assessments of these structures is provided. In-service inspection and testing requirements in the U.S. are summarized. The license renewal process in the U.S. is outlined and its current status noted. A summary of operating experience related to U.S. nuclear power plant concrete structures is presented. Several candidate areas are identified where additional research would be of benefit to aging management of NPP concrete structures. Finally current ORNL activities related to aging-management of concrete structures are outlined: development of operating experience database, application of structural reliability theory, and compilation of elevated temperature concrete material property data and information.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Improving Operational Efficiency, Compliance and Community Perception with Real-time Data - 19260

The nuclear and medical radiation industry has always faced a significant burden in effectively balancing exposure and productivity. Maintenance operations and development of new techniques require significant staffing resources to monitor and review personnel exposures and changes in operational radiation levels. Currently utilised monitoring technology and review techniques remain unchanged since the 1950's, relying upon mostly analogue instrumentation and paper reporting. After utilising isolated-area monitoring during a reactor decommissioning project it became apparent that current systems created false assurance as the units continually failed without warning due to 'dirty' power. These instrument failures could have easily led to an unnecessary exposure while operators continued to assume they were being safely monitored. This paper is a philosophical discussion on how current shortcomings could be addressed, security increased, and exposure risks minimised, by utilising real-time monitoring and automated reporting. The community and media expectations of reported data and nuclear monitoring systems continue to be coloured by sensational technology seen in movies and emerging technology available through smart homes and smart cities initiatives. For the general public to be more engaged with real radiation levels and effects, the nuclear industry needs to more effectively communicate safe levels. Organisations can have regain control of exposure levels discussions through the controlled release of background and expected exposure level data. An increase in real world monitoring data communicated in a controlled and more effective way will aid in the general public accepting, and being educated about, the minimal increase above natural background levels of the nuclear industry and other radiation facilities. This is particularly as Australia is in the process of implementing its Nuclear Waste Facility, with community acceptance the number one inhibitor of being able to move forward. Storage, mobile assets, and processing all present unique management, security, exposure, and telemetry challenges for a facility operations manager. Active monitoring and automated review of the monitoring data can alert operators to any unexpected events before any resultant increases in radiation levels cause an unplanned exposure to operators or the environment. Integration of radiation monitoring data with global positioning telemetry enables better organisational awareness of mobile asset location and early detection of any potential shifting and reduction in shielding integrity of sources and encapsulated waste during transport. Additionally, the real-time monitoring can be set-up to enhance an organisations' or nation's security capabilities. For instance, the real time monitor will send an automated alert in the case of an unexpected movement of a source through a monitored facility or for an unscheduled movement of a monitored vehicle. There are further benefits to be gained in control, ALARA principles and effluent management by increasing real-time monitoring capabilities through the stages of the waste cycle. Increasing operational effectiveness while delivering operational cost savings sounds like an attractive proposition. With increased access to operational area radiation data comes drastically improved real-time management of exposures for new, and experimental practices. Increased live data can be utilised to identify optimum practices for reducing operational and environmental exposures or releases. This increased operational data effectively comes with the added benefit of a reduction in the required health physics personnel resources for general operations. By reducing exposure and the detachment of required health physics resources from routine operations, there is greater availability for these resources to support maintenance operations and project-based work. The review of this increased data will create internal capability to identify low-- and high-risk activities, resulting in the ability to reduce the number of highly skilled workers in an industry where the availability of this talent is declining. During my time as the Radiation Safety and Nuclear Security Manager at a research facility, I implemented a real-time monitoring system. The system identified a secondary risk that had previously been unidentified and posed a higher exposure and security risk than the radiation practice being monitored. What stops industry from implementing technology that encourages agile work practices, while minimising security risks and personnel exposure? (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2021

Annual Status Update for OWL

This report represents completion of milestone deliverable M2SF-22SN010309082 Annual Status Update for OWL, which is due on November 30, 2021 as part of the fiscal year 2022 (FY2022) work package SF-22SN01030908. This report provides an annual update on status of FY2021 activities for the work package “OWL - Inventory – SNL”. The Online Waste Library (OWL) has been designed to contain information regarding United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE)-managed (as) high-level waste (DHLW), DOE-managed spent nuclear fuel (DSNF), and other wastes that are likely candidates for deep geologic disposal. Links to the current supporting documents for the data are provided when possible; however, no classified or official-use-only (OUO) data are planned to be included in OWL. There may be up to several hundred different DOE-managed wastes that are likely to require deep geologic disposal. This report contains new information on sodium-bonded spent fuel waste types and wastes forms, which are included in the next release of OWL, Version 3.0, on the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) External Collaboration Network (ECN). The report also provides an update on the effort to include information regarding the types of vessels capable of disposing of DOE-managed waste.

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