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At least 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Engineered Barrier System Research Activities at LBNL (FY2020 Progress Report)

The design of a radioactive waste repository typically involves a multi-barrier system, including the natural barrier system (NBS), i.e., the host rock and its surrounding subsurface environment, and an engineered barrier system (EBS). The EBS is to be constructed from the man-made, engineered materials placed within a repository. The repository includes the waste form, waste canisters, buffer materials, backfill, and seals. The most common buffer material for EBS is compacted bentonite, which features low permeability and high retardation of radionuclides. Extensive studies concerning the behavior of bentonite backfill in crystalline and argillite/shale geologic environments for nuclear waste disposal have been conducted by means of laboratory experiments, numerical modeling, and large-scale in situ tests in Underground Research Laboratories (URLs) in Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Japan. This report includes the results of LBNL’s research activities conducted according to the objectives and scope of the work packages “SF-20LB01030802 Engineered Barrier System R&D - LBNL” and “SF-20LB01030806 Engineered Barrier System International Collaborations - LBNL” of the Spent Fuel and Waste Science and Technology (SFWST) (formerly called Used Fuel Disposal) Campaign of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy. LBNL research studies included laboratory scale tests and modeling of the evolution of the EBS bentonite and associated coupled processes, and impacts of high temperature on parameters and processes relevant to the performance of crystalline and argillite repositories, including the evaluation of the technical basis for applying the maximum allowable temperature. The results of these studies are being addressing the technical elements necessary to evaluate the EBS design concepts. Emphasis is on the study of thermal, mechanical, and chemical processes that influence the performance of EBS, and the development of modeling capability for reliable assessment of these processes, and ultimately supporting the development of the GDSA model with detailed coupled THMC process models.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

An Overview of the Waste-to-Energy System Simulation (WESyS) Model

The leveraging of waste streams for energy and chemical production could add revenue to waste disposal operations, and it presents opportunities for addressing a variety of economic and environmental objectives at the local, state, and national levels. The Waste-to-Energy System Simulation (WESyS) model is a system dynamics model that was created to simulate the development of the U.S. waste-to-energy industry over time. For each of the three primary waste resources modeled (landfills, concentrated animal feeding operations, and publicly owned treatment works), WESyS simulates technically feasible scenarios for use of the waste, including direct conversion to fuels, and anaerobic digestion followed by flaring, electricity generation, combined heat and power, cleanup and compression to compressed natural gas, and cleanup and injection into an existing pipeline. The model allows users to explore numerous plausible future scenarios for the development of the U.S. waste-to-energy industry. This report provides an overview of the WESyS model and documents the key assumptions, equations, and data sources used to create the model.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
NASA NTRS1987

Concept for Underground Disposal of Nuclear Waste

Packaged waste placed in empty oil-shale mines. Concept for disposal of nuclear waste economically synergistic with earlier proposal concerning backfilling of oil-shale mines. New disposal concept superior to earlier schemes for disposal in hard-rock and salt mines because less uncertainty about ability of oil-shale mine to contain waste safely for millenium.

Bowyer, J. M.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hanford Site Composite Analysis Special Analysis: P2R Model Predictive Contaminant Transport Simulations - Sensitivity Case

This environmental calculation file (ECF) documents the methodologies, assumptions, and results of predictive fate and transport simulations using the Plateau-to-River (P2R) model. This ECF supports the reevaluation of the representativeness of solid-waste radionuclide inventory and release rate from three solid waste sites included in the recently completed Hanford Site Composite Analysis (CA) (DOE-RL-2019-52, Composite Analysis for Low-Level Waste Disposal in the Hanford Site Central Plateau (FY 2020)). Specifically, this ECF supports the reevaluation of the representativeness of the base case inventory and radionuclide waste release rates from three solid waste sites (i.e., 218-E-12B, 218-W-3A and 218-W-3AE) and two radionuclides (carbon-14 [C-14] and technetium [Tc-99]). These three waste sites and two radionuclides were identified as being the most significant contributors to groundwater contamination and dose in the CA at time periods after the compliance period. The release rates and footprints of the releases from the vadose zone are implemented in the fate and transport modeling utilizing the HSS package.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1979

Detection of ocean waste in the New York Bight

The application of remote sensing to detection and monitoring of ocean waste disposal in the New York Bight is discussed. Attention is focused on the two major pollutants in this area--sewage sludge and iron-acid waste--and on detecting and identifying these pollutants. The emphasis is on the use of LANDSAT multispectral data in identifying these pollutants and distinguishing them from other substances. The analysis technique applied to the LANDSAT data is the eigenvector. This approach proved to be quite successful in detecting iron-acid waste of the coast of Delaware and is applied here with relatively minor modifications. The results of the New York Bight work are compared to the Delaware results. Finally, other remote sensing systems (Nimbus G, aircraft photography and multispectral scanner systems) are discussed as possible complements of or replacements for the Landsat observations.

Philpot, W.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Circularity Futures Workshop Series: Summary Report

The aim of this report is to synthesize key feedback received from the three-part Circularity Futures workshop series held in Spring 2024. The workshop series was conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on behalf of U.S. Department of Energy, Office Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), and was broken into three workshops: Workshop 1 - Circularity Analysis Needs and Priorities; Workshop 2 - Circularity Metrics and Indicators; and Workshop 3 - Circularity Data. Together, the workshops focused on identifying the existing priorities and gaps in the circularity modeling space, understanding different stakeholders' use and interpretation of circularity metrics and indicators, identifying common data gaps and data quality challenges, and assessing the robustness of available solutions. The workshop series brought a diverse group of stakeholders - including representatives from U.S. government offices, national labs, nonprofit organizations, industry, and academia - to collect first-hand feedback on needs, priorities, challenges and opportunities in the circularity modeling and analysis space. The workshop discussions highlighted numerous common needs, priorities and challenges among the interviewed groups. Several topics were frequently discussed, including: 1) Circularity as a pathway for sustainable economic growth: While circularity is generally defined in terms of resource conservation and reducing wasteful disposal of materials, participants agreed that circular strategies should serve broader economic, environmental, and social goals. It is therefore crucial for circularity analysis to look beyond waste reduction and instead evaluate a variety of impact metrics such as cost savings, job creation, air quality, and pollutant emissions. Mutli-criteria decision-making frameworks may be useful for making sense of disparate metrics and evaluating tradeoffs between impact categories.; 2) Economic and social factors are not well understood: Underdevelopment of existing end-of-life (EOL) management infrastructure, inconsistent standardization codes and policy space in reusing recycled content, and suboptimal collection and sorting strategies collectively contribute to uncertainty about the economic potential of circular pathways. The latter observation is consistent among all technologies but more emphasized for renewable energy systems. Social impacts of circularity practices are less understood and less researched than other sustainability aspects.; 3) Inconsistent methods for assessing emerging technologies: LCA and TEA results vary widely depending on the assumptions made with regards to market adoption of new technologies. Emerging technologies suffer limited availability of data needed to conduct a robust circularity analysis. Yet, understanding projected impacts of proposed nascent technology is a key need for different stakeholder groups.; and 4) Lack of temporally and geospatially explicit data: There is a need for open data that represents variations in circularity technologies over time and location. The lack thereof leads to aggregated and potentially misrepresented results in circularity analysis. Sensitivity analyses should be included to verify whether options perceived as more sustainable align with real-world practices.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Development of an In-Situ Leaching Technology for Extracting Residual Uranium from Remediated Soil - 20099

Site-specific chemical solutions for extracting uranium were developed and evaluated for treating previously remediated soil at a former thorium mill tailings site, known as the Former Rare Earths Facility (REF), in West Chicago, Illinois. Prior remediation efforts had resulted in residual sand and gravel aggregate that met the soil cleanup standards. The target soil contains residual levels of uranium, which continues to leach into the site groundwater at levels exceeding groundwater protection standards (GWPS). A series of bench-scale tests were conducted to evaluate the efficacy and viability of in-situ leaching (ISL) technology to treat the target soil for the purposes of attaining uranium GWPS at the REF. Specific objectives of the bench-scale tests entailed identification and selection of optimal leaching, quantification of the extent and rate of uranium released as a function of chemical composition, chemical concentrations, chemical residence times, and obtaining critical data to estimate treatment costs. A combination of sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate reagent was the most effective leaching solution. In general, leaching solutions containing a higher concentration of sodium carbonate demonstrated superior uranium leaching capabilities. Removal of 50% of the uranium mass from the soil matrix was adequate for achieving compliance with the site-specific GWPS. After six to seven pore volume flushes (PVFs), the uranium leaching effectiveness of all leaching solutions was similar. The amount of initial uranium removed with each subsequent PVF was minimal, suggesting limited solubility of the remaining mass of uranium. The effects of leaching duration were significant and persisted through at least the first five consecutive PVFs. Leaching of uranium also resulted in leaching of several non-uranium constituents, many of which exceeded applicable National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) standards. Given historical operations and waste disposal practices at the site, leaching of non-uranium constituents was expected. Hydrochloric acid was used to stabilize treated soil. Savings of approximately $148 million in direct and indirect remediation costs are expected with an ISL alternative compared to the excavation and landfill disposal remediation option. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Modeling Stress-Induced Pore Water Pressures in The Vadose Zone Beneath a Composite-Lined Landfill - 20029

A finite-element model was developed to evaluate mechanisms contributing to positive pore pressures measured with sealed pressure transducers in the geological buffer beneath the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility, a composite-lined mixed waste disposal facility operated by the US Department of Energy. The geological buffer is a 3-m-thick engineered fine-textured layer directly beneath the Environmental Management Waste Management Facility's composite liner, and above the groundwater table. The model accounts for changes in pore water pressure resulting from (i) loading imposed by waste placed on the overlying liner, (ii) moistening of the geological buffer due to equilibration with the underlying geological materials, and (iii) fluctuations in the elevation of the underlying groundwater table. Pore water pressures predicted by the model are in good agreement with pore water pressures measured in the field. The predictions confirm that positive pore water pressures recorded by the sealed pressure transducers in the geological buffer are excess pore water pressures induced by the vertical normal stress imposed by waste placed on the liner, and are not due to a rise in the groundwater table. Simulations also showed that two additional years of filling would further increase the pore water pressure without any change in elevation of the groundwater table. The geological buffer remained unsaturated during the simulation, with a B-coefficient (parameter indicative of the degree of saturation) similar to that computed from the field-measured pore water pressures and waste filling records. Larger increases in pore water pressure were observed when the geological buffer was assumed to have higher initial saturation, as was observed in the field data. Incorporating seasonal fluctuations in the groundwater table beneath the geological buffer in the model resulted in predictions of small seasonal oscillation in the pore water pressure at the measurement location, similar to seasonal oscillations observed in the field. Predictions made with the model indicate that the dissipation of the excess pore water pressures will occur over decades due to the low hydraulic conductivity of the geological buffer material. (authors)

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

Equity Considerations in Siting Consolidated Interim Storage Facilities for Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel

Questions of equity and fairness are often raised by representatives from State, Tribal and local governments and members of the public when resolving conflicts over siting of nuclear facilities. However, the two terms are not synonymous: equity can be quantified while fairness is much more subjective. The Department of Energy's (DOE) December 2021 Request for Information sought input on how to site federal facilities for the temporary, consolidated storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) using a consent-based approach. It is anticipated that just such questions about equity and fairness associated with the potential emergence of more than one host site may be raised by the twelve groups of university, nonprofit and private sector partners (Consortia) working to support community engagement, inclusively involve stakeholders, build relationships, and develop innovative forms of mutual learning and public capacity to participate in the consent-based siting process for a federal consolidated interim storage facility during the current Planning & Capacity Building stage of the consent-based siting process. In terms of DOE's Integrated Waste Management System (IWMS), sociopolitical equity concepts are a factor in all aspects of IWMS development and operations and will be particularly applicable should two or more host sites become a possibility, either by the emergence of multiple volunteer hosts or by pursuit as a IWMS program strategy. This paper summarizes recent analyses that explore how four equity metrics - number of states, division of the projected SNF total by the year 2083, current population and land area - might be perceived by host communities, states and regions if two, three or four sites for hosting federal consolidated interim storage facilities were to be contemporaneously realized. Existing institutional arrangements, including Nuclear Regulatory Commission regions, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regions and Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compacts, were selected to create hypothetically merged two, three and four-region scenarios to calculate how the four metrics balance out. Projected SNF burden was prioritized with regional contiguity of the consolidated regions a requirement for a functional scenario. The intent was not to promote or suggest any construct as a program objective; the configurations are geopolitical abstractions only to explore potential perceptions of equity. Understanding the possible issues of equity that could arise may benefit program efforts toward achieving a cooperative federalism wherein both the federal and multiple State governments share the goal of manifesting more than one federal consolidated interim storage facility. The main finding is that it is not possible to optimize for all four metrics simultaneously. The analyses demonstrate that trying to create a sense of equity by backfitting a solution to a random population and land distribution will always contain a degree of artificiality.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hanford Site Composite Analysis Special Analysis: Inventory and Solid Waste Release Modeling for the LLBG Sensitivity Case - UCAQ-22-01 Inventory Discrepancies for 218-E-12B, 218-W-3A, and 218-W-3AE in the Hanford Site Composite Analysis

This environmental calculation file (ECF) documents the methodologies, assumptions, and results of four sensitivity analyses that reevaluate the representativeness of solid-waste radionuclide inventory and release rate from three solid waste sites included in the recently completed Hanford Site Composite Analysis (CA) (DOE-RL-2019-52, Composite Analysis for Low-Level Waste Disposal in the Hanford Site Central Plateau (FY 2020), Rev. 1) (hereinafter called the CA Update). Specifically, this ECF reevaluates the representativeness of the base case inventory and radionuclide waste release rates from three solid waste sites (i.e., 218-E-12B, 218-W-3A, and 218-W-3AE) and two radionuclides (i.e., carbon-14 [C-14] and technetium-99 [Tc-99]). These three waste sites and two radionuclides were identified as being the most significant contributors to groundwater contamination and dose in the CA Update for the Inner Area boundary at times periods after the compliance period. This ECF first evaluates the representativeness of the C-14 and Tc-99 inventory and second, radionuclide release rates for the three waste sites1. If the inventory and release rates assumed in the CA Update are determined to be not representative, as hypothesized in the CA Update, then this ECF evaluates the impact of more representative inventories and release rates on the transfer of radionuclides to the vadose zone. The four analyses described in this ECF are as follows: 1) 218-E-12B C-14 Inventory and Release Rate Sensitivity Case – Determine the representativeness of the C-14 inventory and associated waste release rate from the 218-E-12B waste site assumed in the CA Update. If the inventory and associated waste release are more appropriately characterized as being different from the assumptions in the CA Update, then update the predicted C-14 release rate and compare the results to the results presented in the CA Update (DOE/RL-2019-52); 2) 218-W-3A C-14 Inventory and Release Rate Sensitivity Case – Determine the representativeness of the C-14 inventory and associated waste release rate from the 218-W-3A waste site assumed in the CA Update. If the inventory and associated waste release are more appropriately characterized as being different from the assumptions in the CA Update, then update the predicted C-14 release rate and compare the results to the results presented in the CA Update (DOE/RL-2019-52); 3) 218-W-3AE Tc-99 Release Rate Sensitivity Case – Determine the representativeness of the Tc-99 inventory and associated waste release rate from the 218-W-3AE waste site assumed in the CA Update. If the inventory and associated waste release are more appropriately characterized as being different from the assumptions in the CA Update, then update the predicted Tc-99 release rate and compare the results to the results presented in the CA Update (DOE/RL-2019-52); 4) 218-W-3AE Tc-99 Release Footprint Sensitivity Case – Determine the representativeness of the Tc-99 waste area footprint for the 218-W-3AE waste site assumed in the CA Update. If the footprint of the waste is more appropriately characterized as being different from the assumptions in the CA Update, then update the predicted Tc-99 release rate and compare the results to the result presented in the CA Update (DOE/RL-2019-52).

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1974

Application of ERTS-1 data to the protection and management of New Jersey's coastal environment

The author has identified the following significant results. Rapid access to ERTS data was provided by NASA GSFC for the February 26, 1974 overpass of the New Jersey test site. Forty-seven hours following the overpass computer-compatible tapes were ready for processing at EarthSat. The finished product was ready just 60 hours following the overpass and delivered to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. This operational demonstration has been successful in convincing NJDEP as to the worth of ERTS as an operational monitoring and enforcement tool of significant value to the State. An erosion/ accretion severity index has been developed for the New Jersey shore case study area. Computerized analysis techniques have been used for monitoring offshore waste disposal dumping locations, drift vectors, and dispersion rates in the New York Bight area. A computer shade print of the area was used to identify intensity levels of acid waste. A Litton intensity slice print was made to provide graphic presentation of dispersion characteristics and the dump extent. Continued monitoring will lead to the recommendation and justification of permanent dumping sites which pose no threat to water quality in nearshore environments.

Yunghans, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Plant productivity in controlled environments

To assess the cost and area/volume requirements of a farm in a space station or Lunar or Martian base, a few laboratories in the United States, the Soviet Union, France, and Japan are studying optimum controlled environments for the production of selected crops. Temperature, light, photoperiod, CO2, humidity, the root-zone environment, and cultivars are the primary factors being manipulated to increase yields and harvest index. Our best wheat yields on a time basis (24 g m-2 day-1 of edible biomass) are five times good field yields and twice the world record. Similar yields have been obtained in other laboratories with potatoes and lettuce; soybeans are also promising. These figures suggest that approximately 30 m2 under continuous production could support an astronaut with sufficient protein and about 2800 kcal day-1. Scientists under Iosif Gitelzon in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, have lived in a closed system for up to 5 months, producing 80% of their own food. Thirty square meters for crops were allotted to each of the two men taking part in the experiment. A functional controlled-environment life-support system (CELSS) will require the refined application of several disciplines: controlled-environment agriculture, food preparation, waste disposal, and control-systems technology, to list only the broadest categories. It has seemed intuitively evident that ways could be found to prepare food, regenerate plant nutrients from wastes, and even control and integrate several subsystems of a CELSS. But could sufficient food be produced in the limited areas and with the limited energy that might be available? Clearly, detailed studies of food production were necessary.

NASA Discipline Life Support Systems↗
NASA NTRS1982

Analysis of space systems for the space disposal of nuclear waste follow-on study. Volume 2: Technical report

The space option for disposal of certain high-level nuclear wastes in space as a complement to mined geological repositories is studied. A brief overview of the study background, scope, objective, guidelines and assumptions, and contents is presented. The determination of the effects of variations in the waste mix on the space systems concept to allow determination of the space systems effect on total system risk benefits when used as a complement to the DOE reference mined geological repository is studied. The waste payload system, launch site, launch system, and orbit transfer system are all addressed. Rescue mission requirements are studied. The characteristics of waste forms suitable for space disposal are identified. Trajectories and performance requirements are discussed.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1977

Satellite, aircraft, and drogue studies of coastal currents and pollutants

The mounting interest in extracting oil and other resources from the continental shelf and continuing use of shelf and estuarine waters for waste disposal is creating a need for synoptic means of determining currents and monitoring pollutants in this area. A satellite-aircraft-drogue approach is described which employs remotely tracked expendable drogues together with satellite and aircraft observations of waste plumes and current tracers such as dyes or suspended sediment. Tests conducted on the continental shelf and in Delaware Bay indicate that the approach provides a cost-effective means of studying current circulation, oil-slick movement, and ocean waste dispersion under a wide range of environmental conditions.

Klemas, V.↗
DOE OSTI2024

The chlorination and separation of aluminum using low-temperature sulfur chloride reagents

There is currently no strategy for the permanent waste disposal or recycling for used nuclear fuelsfrom research reactors. For this reason, low-temperature reactions have been developed for thechlorination of the Al alloys and subsequent separation from used nuclear fuels to reducethe volume of high-level waste in storage. Three sulfur chloride reagents – S 2 Cl 2 , SOCl 2 , and SO 2 Cl 2 —were tested, and two were found to quantitatively chlorinate Al metal and Al alloys undermild conditions. Further, these low-temperature reactions proceed between 298 and 411 K, and up to 5 gof metal is chlorinated in 1–3 h. Preliminary results indicate that the reactivity and exothermicity ofthe reaction between the Al and sulfur chloride reagents is highly dependent on the surface area-to-volume ratio of the metal and the volume of solvent. Elemental S is produced as a by-productduring the chlorination with S 2 Cl 2 but can be quantitatively rechlorinated under mild conditions toregenerate the initial chlorination reagent. Therefore, in this case, chlorine is the only elementconsumed in the reaction, thus minimizing the waste generated during the chlorination process.The AlCl 3 may then be separated from other materials present in Al 6061 or Al 8001 because of itshigh solubility in the sulfur chloride reagents. This process may also be extended to chlorinate Alfrom research reactor fuels.

aluminum↗
NASA NTRS1976

Monitoring estuarine circulation and ocean waste dispersion using an integrated satellite-aircraft-drogue approach

The mounting economic pressure to extract oil and other resources from the Continental Shelf and to continue using the Shelf for waste disposal is creating a need for cost-effective synoptic means of determining currents in this area. An integrated satellite-aircraft-drogue approach has been developed which employs remotely tracked expendable drogues together with satellite and aircraft observations of waste plumes and tracers, such as dyes or suspended sediment. Tests conducted on the Continental Shelf and in Delaware Bay indicate that the system provides a cost-effective means of studying current circulation, oil slick movement, and ocean waste dispersion even under severe environmental conditions.

Klemas, V.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Chemical characterization of microplastic particles formed in airborne waste discharged from sewer pipe repairs

Microplastic particles are of increasing environmental concern due to the widespread uncontrolled degradation of various commercial products made of plastic and their associated waste disposal. Recently, common technology used to repair sewer pipes was reported as one of the emission sources of airborne microplastics in urban areas. This research presents results of the multi-modal comprehensive chemical characterization of the microplastic particles related to waste discharged in the pipe repair process and compares particle composition with the components of uncured resin and cured plastic composite used in the process. Analysis of these materials employs complementary use of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, scanning transmission X-ray spectro-microscopy, single particle mass spectrometry, and direct analysis in real-time high-resolution mass spectrometry. Further, it is shown that the composition of the relatively large (100 μm) microplastic particles resembles components of plastic material used in the process. In contrast, the composition of the smaller (micrometer and sub-micrometer) particles is significantly different, suggesting their formation from unintended polymerization of water-soluble components occurring in drying droplets of the air-discharged waste. In addition, resin material type influences the composition of released microplastic particles. Results are further discussed to guide the detection and advanced characterization of airborne microplastics in future field and laboratory studies pertaining to sewer pipe repair technology.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗