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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Ultra-low-level measurements of airborne fission products from the Fukushima Daiichi reactor accident using high volume collection systems at Savannah River National Laboratory

For this study, ultra-low-level measurements of radionuclides in air have been conducted at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to determine the atmospheric concentration of fission products released following the Fukushima Daiichi reactor accident on March 11, 2011. Air filter samples were acquired from two high-volume collection systems (a traditional filter-based system and an electrostatic precipitator-based system) to monitor airborne radionuclide concentrations in the period covering from 2 weeks to 3 years after the disaster. The world-wide spread of low-level concentrations of airborne fission products from the Fukushima event provided a unique opportunity to demonstrate SRNL's electrostatic particle collection technology and other improvements in environmental monitoring developed at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Detecting and analyzing the release allowed a comprehensive test of SRS systems for monitoring environmental radioactivity. Gamma-ray-emitting fission products ( 131,132 I, 134,136,137 Cs, and 129,132 Te) and cosmogenic isotopes ( 7 Be and 22 Na) in air were detected and quantified by high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy at concentrations as low as 0.07 μBq per standard cubic meter (SCM) (50 mBq total 137 Cs), while plutonium content was quantified by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) at concentrations as low as 6.5 × 10 –21 g/SCM (3.0 fg 239+240 Pu). Isotope concentrations measured at SRNL from gamma-ray spectroscopy were compared to independent measurements from Chapel Hill, NC, located approximately 370 km (230 mi) NE of SRNL. Meteorological modeling was also used to predict radionuclide transport from the location of release to both measurement locations.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗
DOE OSTI2020

Argonne National Laboratory Site Environmental Report (CY2019)

This report discusses the status and the accomplishments of the environmental protection program at Argonne National Laboratory for calendar year 2019. The status of Argonne environmental protection activities with respect to compliance with the various laws and regulations is discussed, along with environmental management, sustainability efforts, environmental corrective actions, and habitat restoration. To evaluate the effects of Argonne operations on the environment, samples of environmental media collected on the site, at the site boundary, and off the Argonne site were analyzed and compared with applicable guidelines and standards. A variety of radionuclides were measured in air, surface water, groundwater, and bottom sediment samples. In addition, chemical constituents in surface water, groundwater, and wastewater were analyzed. External penetrating radiation doses were measured, and the potential for radiation exposure to off-site population groups was estimated. Results are interpreted with respect to the origin of the radioactive and chemical substances (i.e., natural, Argonne, and other) and are compared with applicable standards intended to protect human health and the environment. A U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) dose calculation methodology, based on International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommendations and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) CAP-88 Version 4 computer code, was used in preparing this report.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Argonne National Laboratory Site Environmental Report (CY2020)

This report discusses the status and the accomplishments of the environmental protection program at Argonne National Laboratory for calendar year 2020. The status of Argonne environmental protection activities with respect to compliance with the various laws and regulations is discussed, along with environmental management, sustainability efforts, environmental corrective actions, and habitat restoration. To evaluate the effects of Argonne operations on the environment, samples of environmental media collected on the site, at the site boundary, and off the Argonne site were analyzed and compared with applicable guidelines and standards. A variety of radionuclides were measured in air, surface water, groundwater, and bottom sediment samples. In addition, chemical constituents in surface water, groundwater, and wastewater were analyzed. External penetrating radiation doses were measured, and the potential for radiation exposure to off site population groups was estimated. Results are interpreted with respect to the origin of the radioactive and chemical substances (i.e., natural, Argonne, and other) and are compared with applicable standards intended to protect human health and the environment. A U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) dose calculation methodology, based on International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommendations and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) CAP 88 Version 4.1 computer code, was used in preparing this report.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Official TM Cover: Development and Qualification of Tungsten Reference Materials for LA-ICP-MS

Reference materials have been developed to provide areal density measurements of tungsten that is deposited on graphite when using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Several reference materials of varying areal densities have been produced using a magnetron sputtering, thin film deposition technique. With multiple reference materials that have varying areal densities, a calibration curve has been developed for translating the detector response of an ICP-MS into a quantitative measurement. These results provide the opportunity to make calibrated comparisons across graphite samples that were exposed to tungsten transport experiments for nuclear fusion research. In addition, these methods may be applied to provide individual areal density measurements for the five unique isotopes of tungsten. It is found that areal density measurements via LA-ICP-MS agree with characterization for the same samples when using the more traditional Rutherford backscattering ion beam technique. Qualification of these reference materials was completed using ion beam laboratories at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Sandia National Laboratory.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Savannah River National Laboratory – General Fusion 2023 INFUSE Report (Rev.1)

This report describes the results from an INFUSE research project, where Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) in collaboration with General Fusion (GF) used process modeling to understand and optimize commercial power plant (CPP) fuel cycle designs based on parameters provided by GF. The study primarily focused on two candidate fuel cycles with different blanket materials, one with a lead lithium eutectic (LLE) blanket and the other with a pure lithium (Li) blanket. LLE benefits from a low melting point, favorable neutronics, and lower reactivity, but liquid lithium has the potential for higher tritium breeding ratios (TBR) and does not poison the plasma as a high Z contaminant. It was found that the main differences between LLE and Li designs are the extraction technologies required to remove tritium from the blanket and the amount of tritium and its distribution within the facility. More than 80% of the in-process tritium inventory for the LLE design is contained in the isotope separation system, while for the Li design, over 60% of the in-process tritium inventory is contained within the blanket material. This is due to significant tritium retention by Li. For the Li blanket, the burden of tritium processing rests on the blanket extraction technology rather than the traditional exhaust processing route. Thus, the blanket extraction technology is a main driver of tritium inventory in the Li system and determines the subsequent interface with the tritium processing plant.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Idaho National Laboratory Annual Report for Permit to Construct P-2015.0023 for Calendar Year 2020

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site operates facilities with potential emissions criteria and hazardous air pollutants. This report documents the calendar year 2020 criteria and hazardous air pollutants emissions and has been prepared to comply with permit to construct (PTC) P-2015-0023, Condition 2.9 and Idaho Administrative Procedures Act (IDAPA) 58.01.01.178, Standard Contents of Permits Establishing a Facility Emissions Cap (FEC). IDAPA 58.01.01.178.04 requires that all permits establishing a FEC shall include sufficient reporting to assure compliance with the permit establishing the FEC. Total hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions for the year were 0.59 tons in aggregate and the maximum individual HAP was hydrochloric acid at 0.35 tons. Criteria pollutant emissions were 1.23 tons for sulfur dioxide, 40.96 tons for oxides of nitrogen, 11.7 tons of carbon monoxide, 3.01 tons of total particulate matter and 1.98 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOC).

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Verification and Validation Activities of Molten Salt Reactors Multiphysics Coupling Schemes at Idaho National Laboratory

This paper presents the latest verification and validation activities in molten salt reactor modeling and simulation performed at Idaho National Laboratory. Multiphysics solutions are obtained by coupling the neutronics code Griffin, the thermal hydraulics code Pronghorn, and the system analysis code SAM, under the MOOSE framework. We present various multiphysics coupling schemes with these codes for molten salt reactor problems and provide verification and validation results. First, we present verification test results of the Griffin-Pronghorn coupled scheme for the CNRS benchmark. Then validation test results are presented for the Griffin-SAM coupled scheme for the pump startup and coast down transients of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment. Finally, the Griffin-Pronghorn-SAM coupled scheme is demonstrated for the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment reactivity insertion transient using a domain-overlapping coupling algorithm between Pronghorn and SAM. The results of these various coupling schemes demonstrate the ability to capture the effect of fuel flow and the various feedback mechanisms important to MSRs.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Overview of Shielding Analyses at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Spallation Neutron Source Second Target Station

The Neutronics Group of the Second Target Station project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is responsible for all neutronics analyses related to design and construction. This paper provides an overview of four neutronics analyses performed for the Second Target Station project, which is representative of all the ongoing work but especially tasks related to shielding. These analyses extend from the proton accelerator through the target monolith and bunker to the end of a neutron beamline. Each example highlights the tools and methods the Neutronics Group uses for analysis. The primary tool is the Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNP 6.2, but this is augmented by other codes that supplement the input of MCNP. The other codes specifically highlighted in this paper include Attila4MC, ADVANTG, and AARE.

Miller, Thomas↗
DOE OSTI2026

National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) 2025 U.S. Geothermal Market Report

The 2025 U.S. Geothermal Market Report updates and expands on the 2021 U.S. Geothermal Power Production and District Heating Market Report with the inclusion of geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) for both distributed and centralized heating and cooling applications. The report updates technology and cost trends in the geothermal power generation industry as well as an uptick in market activities, especially those of next-generation geothermal power technologies, including enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) and closed-loop geothermal (CLG). This report also tracks policy and market drivers that have influenced the direction and growth pace of the U.S. geothermal industry over the years, and especially since 2020.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

CROCUS Forward Scatter Disdrometer Data at Argonne National Laboratory Prairie Site

The Vaisala FD70 is a multi-parameter present weather and visibility sensor designed to measure precipitation type, intensity, and visibility with high accuracy in diverse environmental conditions. It uses a combination of forward-scatter measurement and optical disdrometer technologies to detect drop size, fall speeds, and optical properties, enabling the classification of various precipitation types such as rain, snow, sleet, and freezing rain along is visibility estimates. The FD70 provides quantitative estimates of liquid-equivalent precipitation rate and meteorological optical range (MOR), supporting applications in meteorological research, aviation, and road weather monitoring. These measurements are collected at the Argonne Testbed for Multiscale Observational Science (ATMOS), a 20 acre prairie site at Argonne National Lab, located in Lemont, IL. Data is available in netcdf format. Each file contains one second interval data, for approximately 24 hrs each day. File naming convention includes the project (CROCUS), location (ATMOS), instrument name, data level (raw, a1), and date (year, month, day).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Survey on Sustainable Software Ecosystems to Support Experimental and Observational Science at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

In the search for a sustainable approach for software ecosystems that supports experimental and observational science (EOS) across Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), we conducted a survey to understand the current and future landscape of EOS software and data. This paper describes the survey design we used to identify significant areas of interest, gaps, and potential opportunities, followed by a discussion on the obtained responses. The survey formulates questions about project demographics, technical approach, and skills required for the present and the next five years. The study was conducted among 38 ORNL participants between June and July of 2021 and followed the required guidelines for human subjects training. We plan to use the collected information to help guide a vision for sustainable, community-based, and reusable scientific software ecosystems that need to adapt effectively to: i) the evolving landscape of heterogeneous hardware in the next generation of instruments and computing (e.g. edge, distributed, accelerators), and ii) data management requirements for data-driven science using artificial intelligence.

Bernholdt, David↗
DOE OSTI2022

An overview of magneto-inertial fusion on the Z Machine at Sandia National Laboratories

We present an overview of the magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) concept MagLIF (Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion) pursued at Sandia National Laboratories and review some of the most prominent results since the initial experiments in 2013. In MagLIF, a centimeter-scale beryllium tube or "liner" is filled with a fusion fuel, axially pre-magnetized, laser pre-heated, and finally imploded using up to 20 MA from the Z machine. All of these elements are necessary to generate a thermonuclear plasma: laser preheating raises the initial temperature of the fuel, the electrical current implodes the liner and quasi-adiabatically compresses the fuel via the Lorentz force, and the axial magnetic field limits thermal conduction from the hot plasma to the cold liner walls during the implosion. MagLIF is the first MIF concept to demonstrate fusion relevant temperatures, significant fusion production (>10^13 primary DD neutron yield), and magnetic trapping of charged fusion particles. On a 60 MA next-generation pulsed-power machine, two-dimensional simulations suggest that MagLIF has the potential to generate multi-MJ yields with significant self-heating, a long-term goal of the US Stockpile Stewardship Program. At currents exceeding 65 MA, the high gains required for fusion energy could be achievable.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Metaevaluation Final Report: Sandia National Laboratories Recorded Information Management Training Program Evaluation

For my internship project, I chose to evaluate the training program for the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Recorded Information Management (RIM) Program. The purpose of the evaluation was to identify: Where the current training meets federal and corporate requirements and if not, what gaps exist; If the training is accessible in a consistent location; If the training contains a consistent message about the responsibility of managing documents; If the training is organized by records management subject areas.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Small Mammal Trapping Survey for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300 and Corral Hollow Ecological Reserve

ECORP Consulting, Inc. conducted a nocturnal small mammal trapping survey within Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) Site 300 and the adjacent California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Corral Hollow Ecological Reserve. Both sites are located east of the City of Livermore and southwest of the City of Tracy, Alameda and San Joaquin Counties, California (Figure 1-1). A small mammal trapping survey of the project site was conducted in 2002 in preparation for the 2005 LLNL Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS; Jones & Stokes 2003). The San Joaquin pocket mouse (Perognathus inornatus) was the only special-status species (federal species of concern) captured on Site 300 during the study (West and Woollett 2003). However, since then P. inornatus was taxonomically split into separate subspecies and the pocket mouse species identified on Site 300 in 2002 is no longer considered a special-status species. The 2002 survey also captured woodrats, but identification of the subspecies was not possible. Further investigation was necessary to determine if the woodrat species on the project site was the federally listed (endangered) riparian (San Joaquin Valley) woodrat (Neotoma macrotis riparia [Formerly described as Neotoma fuscipes riparia]), the common Diablo Range woodrat (N. f. perplexa), or another form.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Key Pandemic Response R&D Contributions by Los Alamos National Laboratory

New research goals, mitigation successes, and beneficial collaborations burgeoned from the early critical days of 2020 when LANL (Los Alamos National Laboratory) pivoted to help respond to the pandemic. By applying its considerable capabilities in the fields of science, technology, and engineering (STE), LANL responded to the coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This report documents representative examples of that response. Through significant investments in COVID-19 mitigations and ongoing research and development (R&D), important advancements were made to address the pandemic that not only benefited the global population affected by the pandemic, but also protected our staff and collaborators as we executed our Lab’s mission.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

2021 Radionuclide Air Emissions Report for Los Alamos National Laboratory, Revised October 2022

Provided is a revision to the Calendar Year 2021 Radionuclide Air Emissions Report for the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This report is a regulatory compliance deliverable for LANL under the Radionuclide NESHAP, 40 CFR 61 Subpart H. The revised report is needed to correct an error identified regarding generation of wind data files. These wind data files are used for plume modeling as part of calculating off-sites doses from monitored radionuclide air emissions sources. The error resulted from a software update by LANL’s meteorology team after new towers were added to the tower network. As a result of this error, incorrect wind frequencies were assigned to the different stability classes. This slightly affected the plume model calculations and subsequent off-site dose determinations for analyses using these wind files.

2021 Radionuclide, Air Emissions↗
DOE OSTI2020

Wetland/Aquatic Resources Delineation Sitewide Environmental Impact Statement, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Facilities, Alameda and San Joaquin Counties, California

Nomad Ecology, LLC (Nomad) prepared this Wetland/Aquatic Resources Delineation at the request of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for their Sitewide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS). This Wetland/Aquatic Resource Delineations presents the results for three LLNL locations: LLNL Livermore (Site 200), LLNL Experimental Test Site (Site 300), and the Arroyo Mocho Pumping Station (Arroyo Mocho). Table 1 summarizes each study area and lists the Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APNs).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗