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DOE OSTI2022

Smart, Connected Manufactured Housing Solutions through High-Performance Design. Final CRADA report

This report focuses on HVAC, domestic hot water, and miscellaneous electric loads via voluntary opportunities that may arise from partnerships with utilities, as well as future US Environmental Protection Agency ENERGY STAR and DOE Zero Energy Ready Manufactured Home programs. Phase I of this project has begun the technical dialogue toward developing an implementation plan among DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Clayton Manufactured Homes, and US Department of Housing and Urban Development Code manufactured housing stakeholders. These activities have focused on delivering high-performance design through integration of technology. Project tasks include the following: Identifying baseline energy analysis resources opportunities from a variety of DOE and utility stakeholders; Developing a smart home and business solution by leveraging existing utility programs working with Smart Homes Partners resources such as ACE IoT Solutions, Google Nest, and Ecobee; Developing improved smarter ventilation systems with industry ventilation partners such as the Madison Group; Developing improved building science QA/QC testing equipment with manufacturers such as The Energy Conservatory, and supporting other feasible concepts vetted under DOE’s Advanced Buildings Collaborative with Slipstream, reinventing HVAC in manufactured housing; and, Developing smart home short- and long-term viable technical solutions in coordination with Clayton Manufactured Homes in new and/or revitalized community scales for future Phase II prototype demonstrations, which may include design (and perhaps construction) of single-section homes targeting rental property developers and multi-section homes targeting low- to middle-income affordable housing community developers Given the ongoing US Department of Energy (DOE) rulemaking activities, baseline energy analysis assessments of envelope prescriptive and Uo (i.e., the overall thermal energy efficiency of the home in British thermal units per square foot of exterior heat loss/gain surfaces) measures were removed from the scope of Phase I of this project.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2025

DOE Challenges and Opportunities Associated with Accountable Nuclear Material Needs for Development and Commercialization of Fusion Nuclear Energy

Fusion energy represents a transformative opportunity to deliver a safe, plentiful, and carbon-free source of reliable primary power. In recent years, fusion research and development have accelerated significantly, particularly within the US, driven by decades of foundational public investment. Notably, in 2024 the US Department of Energy (DOE) established a comprehensive Fusion Energy Strategy aimed at collaborating with industry partners to enable the deployment of fusion power plants and grid integration by the 2030s. This strategy is chiefly implemented through the DOE Office of Science (SC) Fusion Energy Sciences program. This project was initiated to identify potential approaches for the Office of Environment, Safety, and Health (NA-ESH-12) within DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration to begin engagement with the fusion community on future accountable material needs. The goal of the project is to inform and influence the supply of and demand for accountable nuclear materials as fusion energy is developed and commercialized. NA-ESH-12 must proactively engage with the fusion community regarding the production and management of accountable nuclear materials. Given the complexity and scale of materials required for research, pilot projects, and eventual commercial reactors, early coordination is vital. The project’s objective is to provide insights that will shape the supply and demand landscape for critical nuclear materials, ensuring that DOE is prepared to effectively support fusion energy development and commercialization. In FY 2025, an initial limited review was conducted to identify the status of the fusion energy community’s progress toward full-scale energy production and the need for accountable nuclear material. This included communications with SC, NA-ESH-12, Savannah River National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and attending the Rutgers University–sponsored Supply Chain Workshop: Scaling the Fusion Industry and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Ninth DEMO Programme Workshop. The review to date indicates that the amounts of tritium, lithium-6, and deuterium required by the fusion industry will be dependent on fuel type, breeding technology, blankets, and R&D improvements. One concern is that the commercial sector does not have a sufficient supply chain to meet the demand for development and commercialization for fusion energy production. The supply and demand estimates for these materials should be routinely reviewed as fusion technologies mature.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

MultiSector Dynamics: 2023 Inaugural Workshop Report

Preface The MultiSector Dynamics (MSD) Community of Practice (CoP) hosted an inaugural workshop on October 3-5, 2023 at the University of California, Davis, to bring together members of the MSD community of practice to advance understanding of the co-evolution of human and natural systems, and to build the next generation of tools that bridge sectors, scales, and systems to realize a more resilient and equitable future. The theme of the workshop was "Advancing Complex Adaptive Human-Earth Systems Science in a World of Interconnected Risks". This document outlines the motivation for the workshop, its goals and objectives, the application process, the agenda, overviews of the training sessions offered to the workshop participants and a summary of each breakout session. The MSD workshop report further discusses the feedback from workshop participants and presents some reflections and next steps. The MSD Workshop organizers thank the DOE Office of Science, Earth and Environmental System Modeling, MultiSector Dynamics program area for financial support of its activities through the Integrated Multisector Multiscale Modeling (IM3) project. For more information related to the broader DOE MultiSector Dynamics Program please see https://climatemodeling.science.energy.gov/program-area/multisector-dynamics. D.L.M. and C.M.B. acknowledge support from the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the US Department of Energy (DOE). Disclaimer This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither theUnited States Government nor any agency thereof, nor Battelle Memorial Institute, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, complete- ness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name,trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof, or Battelle Memorial Institute. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory operated by Battelle for the United States Department of Energy Available from:Office of Scientific and Technical Information http://www.OSTI.gov multisectordynamics.org This work is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4 Suggested citation: Monier, E., Reed, P.M., Vernon, C.R., Hadjimichael, A., Brelsford, C.M., Burleyson, C.B., Dyreson, A.R., Fletcher, S.M., Giang, A., Gupta, R.S., Jackson, N.D., Jones, A.D., Lamontagne, J.R., McCollum, D.L., Morris, J.F., Moss, R.H., Peng, W., Saari, R.K., Srikrishnan, V., Szinai, J.K., Yoon, J. (2024) MultiSector Dynamics: 2023 Inaugural Workshop Report. MSD-LIVE Data Repository. doi:10.57931/2371710.

Monier, Erwan↗

DOE OSTI2022

Earth System Model Aerosol–Cloud Diagnostics (ESMAC Diags) package, version 1: assessing E3SM aerosol predictions using aircraft, ship, and surface measurements

Abstract. An Earth system model (ESM) aerosol–cloud diagnostics package is developed to facilitate the routine evaluation of aerosols, clouds, and aerosol–cloud interactions simulated by the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) from the US Department of Energy (DOE). The first version focuses on comparing simulated aerosol properties with aircraft, ship, and surface measurements, which are mostly measured in situ. The diagnostics currently cover six field campaigns in four geographical regions: eastern North Atlantic (ENA), central US (CUS), northeastern Pacific (NEP), and Southern Ocean (SO). These regions produce frequent liquid- or mixed-phase clouds, with extensive measurements available from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program and other agencies. Various types of diagnostics and metrics are performed for aerosol number, size distribution, chemical composition, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration, and various meteorological quantities to assess how well E3SM represents observed aerosol properties across spatial scales. Overall, E3SM qualitatively reproduces the observed aerosol number concentration, size distribution, and chemical composition reasonably well, but it overestimates Aitken-mode aerosols and underestimates accumulation-mode aerosols over the CUS and ENA regions, suggesting that processes related to particle growth or coagulation might be too weak in the model. The current version of E3SM struggles to reproduce the new particle formation events frequently observed over both the CUS and ENA regions, indicating missing processes in current parameterizations. The diagnostics package is coded and organized in a way that can be extended to other field campaign datasets and adapted to higher-resolution model simulations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2020

Operation, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain of Lithium-ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has a rich history of funding key innovations in batteries through multiple programs, including the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs sponsored by the Vehicle Technologies Office and Advanced Manufacturing Office. These DOE-sponsored innovations have been critical in lowering the cost of lithium-ion batteries to less than $160/kWh and increasing their energy density to more than 250 Wh/kg, enhancing the nation’s electrification system and achieving higher degrees of decarbonization. These investments continue to be crucial for positioning the United States as the hub for the most cumulative battery R&D programs worldwide. However, major breakthroughs in battery manufacturing are still needed to enable an electrified future evolving to predominantly incorporate rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. This will require a strong battery manufacturing base that will not only enable cutting-edge advancements in materials and manufacturing sciences but will also allow the United States to become a world leader in this fast-growing area. This review aims at supporting DOE’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program to give technology background and information that can be used to develop the basis for loan topics and evaluate battery applications. Such a program can represent a significant stride toward reinforcing the US position in advanced manufacturing by introducing artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sensing and smart controls to facilitate, expedite, and lead the battery industry by 2030.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2023

Earth System Model Aerosol–Cloud Diagnostics (ESMAC Diags) package, version 2: assessing aerosols, clouds, and aerosol–cloud interactions via field campaign and long-term observations

Abstract. Poor representations of aerosols, clouds, and aerosol–cloud interactions (ACIs) in Earth system models (ESMs) have long been the largest uncertainties in predicting global climate change. Huge efforts have been made to improve the representation of these processes in ESMs, and the key to these efforts is the evaluation of ESM simulations with observations. Most well-established ESM diagnostics packages focus on the climatological features; however, they lack process-level understanding and representations of aerosols, clouds, and ACIs. In this study, we developed the Earth System Model Aerosol–Cloud Diagnostics (ESMAC Diags) package to facilitate the routine evaluation of aerosols, clouds, and ACIs simulated the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) from the US Department of Energy (DOE). This paper documents its version 2 functionality (ESMAC Diags v2), which has substantial updates compared with version 1 (Tang et al., 2022a). The simulated aerosol and cloud properties have been extensively compared with in situ and remote-sensing measurements from aircraft, ship, surface, and satellite platforms in ESMAC Diags v2. It currently includes six field campaigns and two permanent sites covering four geographical regions: the eastern North Atlantic, the central US, the northeastern Pacific, and the Southern Ocean. These regions produce frequent liquid- or mixed-phase clouds, with extensive measurements available from the DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement user facility and other agencies. ESMAC Diags v2 generates various types of single-variable and multivariable diagnostics, including percentiles, histograms, joint histograms, and heatmaps, to evaluate the model representation of aerosols, clouds, and ACIs. Select examples highlighting the capabilities of ESMAC Diags are shown using E3SM version 2 (E3SMv2). In general, E3SMv2 can reasonably reproduce many observed aerosol and cloud properties, with biases in some variables such as aerosol particle and cloud droplet sizes and number concentrations. The coupling of aerosol and cloud number concentrations may be too strong in E3SMv2, possibly indicating a bias in processes that control aerosol activation. Furthermore, the liquid water path response to a perturbed cloud droplet number concentration behaves differently in E3SMv2 and observations, which warrants further study to improve the cloud microphysics parameterizations in E3SMv2.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

Demand Response in Industrial Facilities: Peak Electric Demand

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Better Buildings, Better Plants Program (Better Plants) is a voluntary energy efficiency leadership initiative for US manufacturers and water/wastewater entities. The program encourages organizations to commit to reducing the energy intensity of their US operations over a 10-year period, typically by 25%. Companies joining Better Plants are recognized by DOE for their leadership in implementing energy efficiency practices and for reducing their energy intensity. Better Plants Partners are assigned to a Technical Account Manager, who can help companies establish energy intensity baselines, develop energy management plans, and identify key resources and incentives from DOE, other federal agencies, states, utilities, and other organizations that can enable them to reach their goals. Better Plants Partners are expected to report their progress to DOE once a year. This involves establishing an energy intensity baseline upon joining the program and then tracking their progress over time. Demand Response in Industrial Facilities: Peak Electrical Demand is intended to help companies understand peak demand response programs offering by their local utility. Manufacturing industries can learn about time-varying rates and smart technologies they can use to help them reduce their energy bills. This guidance document is applicable to companies participating at either the program or challenge level. Although this guide is intended primarily to assist companies participating in Better Plants, the methodologies and guidance within the document are applicable to any organization interested in understanding peak demand response programs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2022

Demand Response in Industrial Facilities: Peak Electric Demand

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2020

Hydropower Geotechnical Foundations: Executive Summary on Current Practice and Innovation Opportunities for Low-Head Applications

The following content provides a companion executive summary of Hydropower Geotechnical Foundations: Current Practice and Innovation Opportunities for Low-Head Applications (DeNeale et al. 2020), a technical report developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Knight Piésold Consulting, with funding from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO). This executive summary provides a brief synopsis of the broader information contained in the technical report. This study (and the associated technical report): (1) covers background information on hydropower; (2) describes various characteristics relevant to hydropower foundations for undeveloped US streams; (3) presents the current state of practice in foundation development; (4) provides a representative assessment of conventional hydropower foundation costs and timelines; (5) addresses key challenges facing conventional hydropower foundations; and (6) presents opportunity areas and examples for innovative hydropower foundation technologies while highlighting some advances in non-hydropower industries.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Building 100 Groundwater Bioremediation at the Former DOE Pinellas Plant, Florida: Review of Progress and Opportunities

Weapons research, development, and production operations at the former Pinellas Plant, which includes the Building 100 area, released chlorinated organic solvents into the subsurface, contaminating the underlying soil and groundwater. The site was sold to Pinellas County and is now home to a thriving industrial park known as the Young - Rainey Science, Technology, and Research (STAR) Center. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has applied bioremediation at the Building 100 Area as a key technology to clean up the chlorinated volatile organic compound (cVOC) contamination in soil and groundwater. The monitoring data indicate significant progress toward remedial objectives over the past two decades. Starting conditions in the 1980s-1990s included areas containing residual undissolved dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) and the associated presence of an extensive high concentration plume in the groundwater. The original parent cVOCs were primarily tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE). After several informative pilot studies, bioremediation was implemented at the Building 100 Area of the site and relies on reductive biological pathways and the sequential removal of chlorine from the parent cVOCs forming dichloroethane (DCE) and chloroethene (vinyl chloride, VC). As bioremediation sites evolve toward cleanup, the trends in VC concentrations often serve as a critical indicator for progress and remediation timeframe because VC typically has a lower concentration target remedial objective (nominally 1 to 2 μg/L) compared to PCE and TCE (nominally 3 to 5 μg/L).

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2020

Spent Nuclear Fuel Exploratory Roadmaps - 20054

The U.S. Department of Energy manages nearly 2,500 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) resulting from several decades of research, testing, and production reactors [DOE 1995]. This SNF is managed at the DOE Hanford Site in Washington State (Hanford), Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and Savannah River Site in South Carolina (SRS). From 1995 to 2004, the Department of Energy (DOE) made several key programmatic decisions, supported by appropriate documentation in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the management of SNF [DOE 1995]. These decisions have provided an overarching framework for SNF management, as well as site-specific and SNF-related management decisions for the past two decades. In the years since these decisions were made, with the notable exception of the successful drying and packaging of the production reactor fuel at Hanford, a majority of the decisions have been largely unimplemented. Also, since these decisions were made, a number of changes that bear on considerations relative to the path forward have occurred. A SNF Exploratory Road map activity, identified reasonable alternate pathways for DoE's inventory of SNF. Three fundamental pathways were identified in this activity for the long-term management and disposition of DOE SNF: Direct Disposal Pathway, Existing Processing Pathway and Alternate Processing Pathway. Further actions would be required (e.g., evaluation of NEPA analysis, technology maturity evaluations, refinement of cost and risks, benefits and advantages relative to other alternate paths) to define and inform many key decisions that will result in the selection of the disposition pathways that are most beneficial to the US Government in dispositioning DoE's SNF inventory. DOE is currently managing all SNF safely; however, the age of DOE-owned SNF and facilities for storing and processing SNF, coupled with the uncertainty of the storage duration, necessitates decisions and actions to ensure that the infrastructure will be in place to ensure continued safe and effective long-term management and eventual disposal. The identification of reasonable alternate pathways took these considerations into account in an effort to proactively manage conditions that could challenge the safety of storing and managing DOE SNF over the time periods now contemplated and also to ensure that flexibility is preserved to ensure that the DOE SNF remains compatible with final disposition pathways when they become available. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2024

Synthesizing, Compounding, and Characterizing a Heat Labile Polyurethane Foam

ABSTRACT A need exists for a packaging foam material that can be converted from solid to gaseous degradation products at reasonably low energy levels or temperatures, such as 100O C. This paper will primarily discuss the approaches currently being used to synthesize and characterize such a material. These approaches include the incorporation of novel polyols such as azo containing diols, polycarbonate diols, and polypropylene carbonate polyols into polyurethane foams. Characterization methods include NMR, FTIR, TGA, finite element analysis, impact strength, and others. This project will be funded for a duration of three years. Year 1 focused on developing the proposed test methods and producing an initial rigid polyurethane foam. Year 2 focuses on refining the materials and test methods. If appropriate, design of experiment (doe) techniques will be used to optimize components, component levels, density and other variables to attain required final material properties (TGA weight loss, impact strength, etc.). Year 3 focuses on scaling up to larger engineering quantities. The application for this material is in load securement for transportation of low level radioactive waste materials within the US Department of Energy (DOE) complex. Foam in place process equipment and operators will be shielded using this novel method over current practice. Current practice can involve time consuming methods of load securement in low level radiation environments. This new technique would eliminate exposure time securing the load and greatly improve the As Low As Reasonably Attainable (ALARA) conditions. The objective is to progress to higher Technical Readiness Levels (TRL) and larger pilot scale quantities. This paper discusses methodologies and presents current results to date.

Kranjc, Mark D.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Interior Athabascan Energy Capacity Building Network (Final Report)

Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) is the traditional tribal consortium for the 37 federally recognized Tribes and villages of Interior Alaska. TCC is based on a belief in tribal self-determination and the need for regional Native unity. TCC is a nonprofit organization that works toward meeting the needs and challenges for more than 10,000 Alaska Natives (mostly Alaskan Athabaskans) in Interior Alaska. With support from DOE-OIE’s Inter-Tribal Technical Assistance grant, TCC’s goal was to expand and build on the solid foundation of work that the existing TCC Energy Program established through the creation of the Interior Athabascan Energy Network (IAEN). More specifically, the IAEN was designed to create a network of village-based energy champions across the interior and hold quarterly teleconferences and annual inperson meetings. Among the greatest impacts of the IAEN were the creation and support of realistic, communitybased energy projects that produced tangible results such as fuel savings and skills and capacity development among local staff as well as establishment of an energy team that included TCC staff, Tribal participants, technical consultants, and support agencies. The DOE-TA funding allowed us to provide technical assistance to our Tribal communities to develop energy projects, and to foster a network consisting of Tribal community members and energy experts that has strengthened the ability in the region to troubleshoot energy issues, develop meaningful projects, envision a clean energy future, and to share project successes and challenges. The funding from DOE was a catalyst for growth, has created opportunities for learning and knowledge sharing, and has led to the development of cost saving energy projects. Most importantly, the DOE project allowed energy champions around the region to share their knowledge, experiences, and expertise to create place-based solutions and has forged inter-Tribal relationships that will continue to be an asset for years to come. Through information exchange that occurred at out IAEN annual meetings and other events, this technical assistance grant award has spurred a spinoff project that is focused on establishing a collaborative of independent utilities that work together to solve energy problems and share services to operate and maintain their electric utilities. We have indentified at least 10 and possibly 12 communities that are interested in collaborating in managing their utilities to reduce costs and increase reliability. As well, by identifying and supporting Community Energy Champions in the Interior villages and adding capacity to the TCC Energy Program, we were able to create actionable community energy plans, develop specific projects, and increase local capacity, skills, and literacy around clean energy initiatives.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2020

Panel Session 69: Ensuring Strong Return on Investment for DOE EM Technology Development: Global Views

This panel focused on DOE and Non-US Technology Development Projects discussing how they approach tech development to maximize return on investment (ROI). Successful examples were discussed. After the individual panelist's presentations, the three panelists were joined by Kurt Gerdes in discussing the genesis of this panel and why it is important. Panelists with presentations: Ensuring a Strong Return on Investment for DOE EM Technology Development (Anthony Banford) DOE Technology Development Projects that Provided a Strong Return on Investment (ROI (Mark Lesinski) Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (Gerry Triani) Decommissioning Situation of Nuclear Power Plant in Japan (Teruyuki Hirai)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2023

New England Aqua Ventus I: 100% Hull Design (Final Technical Report)

This report serves as the final technical report for the US Department of Energy (DOE) award DE-EE0006713 (Award 6713). The project is titled “New England Aqua Ventus I Offshore Wind Advanced Technology Demonstration Project 100% Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED)”. The New England Aqua Ventus I (NEAV) project demonstrates a unique prestressed concrete semi-submersible floating hull technology, called VolturnUS. The technology is applicable to harness nearly 60% of the US offshore wind resource within 50 miles of the coast. The hull will be demonstrated at full-scale with a commercial scale wind turbine connected to the grid in the Northeast US off Monhegan Island, Maine for 20 years.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Molten Salt Loop Operational Experience and Test Campaigns in FY24

The Facility to Alleviate Salt Technology Risks (FASTR) at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was developed to demonstrate technology for high-temperature chloride salt systems (Figure 1). FASTR is primarily constructed using alloy C-276 and is designed to operate at temperatures of up to 725°C. The facility is loaded with 250 kg of NaCl-KCl-MgCl 2 salt. This salt provides a relevant test environment for de-risking technology while avoiding the costs and hazards associated with beryllium-based or uranium-bearing salts. The facility’s major components include a centrifugal pump for salt circulation, an air-based heat exchanger to reject heat, a suite of instrumentation, and trace heating to prevent salt freezing. The salt was purified in 2020 and 2022, and the pumped loop first operated in December 2022. FASTR is a unique US capability for high-temperature molten halide salt testing. FASTR’s scale, co located purification system, and relatively large power (465 kW) differentiates it from other testing systems. Furthermore, access to the DOE-supported facility and efficient communication of results— which are generally disseminated publicly—distinguish FASTR as being broadly significant throughout the molten salt reactor community. FASTR is similar to ORNL’s Liquid Salt Test Loop (LSTL), although FASTR contains chloride-based salt instead of the fluoride-based salt (LiF-NaF-KF) found in LSTL. Furthermore, FASTR is approximately 2× larger than LSTL in terms of pipe size and length, power, salt volume, flow rate, and number of thermocouples. The LSTL first operated in 2016. At the end of FY23, there was a suspected gas leak in the LSTL that halted operation. At the start of FY24, a leak in the LSTL pump’s tank gas space was confirmed. Because the gas-space leak prevented operation of LSTL, FY24 efforts were focused on operation of FASTR. This report summarizes the progress made during FY24 in support of the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) work package, AT-24OR070202 Salt Loop and Capability for Testing Sensors and Off Gas Components.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Annual Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 2024

This report provides the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the public with information on the level of radioactive and non-radioactive pollutants (if any) that are added to the environment as a result of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory’s (PPPL) operations. This report fulfills the annual public reporting requirements of DOE Order 231.1B. The results of PPPL’s 2024 environmental surveillance and monitoring program are presented and discussed. The report also summarizes environmental initiatives, assessments, and community involvement programs that were undertaken in 2024. PPPL has engaged in fusion energy research since 1951 and at its current locations since 1958. The Laboratory’s mission is to develop the scientific knowledge and advanced engineering to enable fusion to power the US and the world, and to develop the understanding of plasmas from the nano- to the astrophysical scale. PPPL’s primary experiment, the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) is a collaboration among national laboratories, universities, and national and international research institutions and is a major element in the US Fusion Energy Sciences Program. Its design tests the physics principles of spherical torus (ST) plasmas, playing an important role in the development of smaller, more economical fusion reactors. Due to previous operational issues, NSTX-U did not operate in 2024. PPPL is engaged in a project to replace key NSTX-U components and systems to enable the operation of this international magnetic fusion user facility. In 2024, PPPL’s radiological environmental monitoring program measured tritium in the air at onsite sampling stations. Using highly sensitive air monitors, PPPL is capable of detecting small changes in the ambient levels of tritium. The operation of monitors located on D-site is used to demonstrate compliance with the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) regulations. Also included in PPPL’s radiological environmental monitoring program, are water monitoring – ground, surface, and waste waters. PPPL’s radiological monitoring program characterized the background levels of tritium in the environment and those data are presented in this report. Ground water monitoring continued under New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) Site Remediation Program regulations. PPPL monitored for nonradiological contaminants, mainly volatile organic compounds (components of common degreasing solvents). In 2024, PPPL complied with permit limits for surface water and sanitary wastewater discharges. PPPL was honored with an award for EPEAT-certified electronics purchasing from the Global Electronics Council on July 25, 2024.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) airborne field campaign data products between 2013 and 2018

Airborne measurements are pivotal for providing detailed, spatiotemporally resolved information about atmospheric parameters and aerosol and cloud properties, thereby enhancing our understanding of dynamic atmospheric processes. For 30 years, the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science supported an instrumented Gulfstream 1 (G-1) aircraft for atmospheric field campaigns. Data from the final decade of G-1 operations were archived by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Data Center and made publicly available at no cost to all registered users. To ensure a consistent data format and to improve the accessibility of the ARM airborne data, an integrated dataset was recently developed covering the final 6 years of G-1 operations (2013 to 2018, https://doi.org/10.5439/1999133; Mei and Gaustad, 2024). The integrated dataset includes data collected from 236 flights (766.4 h), which covered the Arctic, the US Southern Great Plains (SGP), the US West Coast, the eastern North Atlantic (ENA), the Amazon Basin in Brazil, and the Sierras de Córdoba range in Argentina. These comprehensive data streams provide much-needed insight into spatiotemporal variability in the thermodynamic quantities and aerosol and cloud properties for addressing essential science questions in Earth system process studies. This paper describes the DOE ARM merged G-1 datasets, including information on the acquisition, data collection challenges and future potentials, and quality control processes. It further illustrates the usage of this merged dataset to evaluate the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) with the Earth System Model Aerosol–Cloud Diagnostics (ESMAC Diags) package.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗