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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

ePROJECT BUILDER: PROMOTING WIDER ADOPTION OF ENERGY SAVINGS PERFORMANCE CONTRACTS THROUGH STANDARDIZATION AND TRANSPARENCY

The United States Federal Government has been conducting guaranteed savings energy savings performance contracts for over 20 years and now relies on ESPC for the majority of its energy efficiency work. Along with a related financed project type, these deals resulted in $4.2 billion of project investment in the five years ending in 2016, a pace that has even accelerated since. Measurement and verification (M&V) on the projects is the key to assuring savings realization and persistence. Perceived as a weakness or burdensome added cost in the early years of the program, M&V has become a strength. All energy conservation measures (ECMs) have some form of measurement – defined as a measured baseline establishment followed by at least one measurement of the main energy-saving parameter taken in the performance period for each ECM. The government’s in-house energy consulting office, the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), now recommends measurement of these “Option A” M&V ECMs throughout the contract term, usually annually. Moreover, a significantly higher percentage of projects are now characterized by more ambitious M&V, including Option B (all parameter measurement) for most generation (including renewable) and some efficiency measures, and more frequent Option C (whole facility utility bill analysis) for “deep retrofit” projects with multiple, interactive ECMs. Coincident with this progress in M&V has been a much greater embracing of ESPC by the federal agencies, resulting in the enormous rate of projects now executed. This paper traces the evolution of M&V in federal ESPC and argues that the heightened credibility of the savings has contributed significantly to the procurement vehicle’s long-term viability. This focus on savings integrity via M&V has been learned over two decades for U.S. federal ESPC, but countries with developing ESPC markets would be wise to emphasize it as their markets emerge, allowing them to avoid some of the “growing pains” experienced in the U.S.

Earni, Shankar↗
DOE OSTI2020

M&V in ESPC: The U.S. Federal Experience and Implications for Developing ESPC Markets

The United States Federal Government has been conducting guaranteed savings energy savings performance contracts for over 20 years and now relies on ESPC for the majority of its energy efficiency work. Along with a related financed project type, these deals resulted in $4.2 billion of project investment in the five years ending in 2016, a pace that has even accelerated since. Measurement and verification (M&V) on the projects is the key to assuring savings realization and persistence. Perceived as a weakness or burdensome added cost in the early years of the program, M&V has become a strength. All energy conservation measures (ECMs) have some form of measurement – defined as a measured baseline establishment followed by at least one measurement of the main energy-saving parameter taken in the performance period for each ECM. The government’s in-house energy consulting office, the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), now recommends measurement of these “Option A” M&V ECMs throughout the contract term, usually annually. Moreover, a significantly higher percentage of projects are now characterized by more ambitious M&V, including Option B (all parameter measurement) for most generation (including renewable) and some efficiency measures, and more frequent Option C (whole facility utility bill analysis) for “deep retrofit” projects with multiple, interactive ECMs. Coincident with this progress in M&V has been a much greater embracing of ESPC by the federal agencies, resulting in the enormous rate of projects now executed. This paper traces the evolution of M&V in federal ESPC and argues that the heightened credibility of the savings has contributed significantly to the procurement vehicle’s long-term viability. This focus on savings integrity via M&V has been learned over two decades for U.S. federal ESPC, but countries with developing ESPC markets would be wise to emphasize it as their markets emerge, allowing them to avoid some of the “growing pains” experienced in the U.S.

Coleman, Philip↗
DOE OSTI2020

M&V in ESPC: The U.S. Federal Experience and Implications for Developing ESPC Markets

The United States Federal Government has been conducting guaranteed savings energy savings performance contracts for over 20 years and now relies on ESPC for the majority of its energy efficiency work. Along with a related financed project type, these deals resulted in $4.2 billion of project investment in the five years ending in 2016, a pace that has even accelerated since.Measurement and verification (M&V) on the projects is the key to assuring savings realization and persistence. Perceived as a weakness or burdensome added cost in the early years of the program, M&V has become a strength. All energy conservation measures (ECMs) have some form of measurement – defined as a measured baseline establishment followed by at least one measurement of the main energy-saving parameter for a given ECM taken in the performance period. The government’s in-house energy consulting office, the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), now recommends measurement of these “Option A” M&V ECMs throughout the contract term, usually annually. Moreover, a significantly higher percentage of projects are now characterized by more ambitious M&V, including Option B (all parameter measurement) for most generation (including renewable) and some efficiency measures, and more frequent Option C (whole facility utility bill analysis) for “deep retrofit” projects with multiple, interactive ECMs. Coincident with this progress in M&V has been a much greater embracing of ESPC by the federal agencies, resulting in the enormous rate of projects now executed. This paper traces the evolution of M&V in federal ESPC and argues that the heightened credibility of the estimated (and guaranteed) savings has contributed significantly to the procurement vehicle’s long-term viability. This focus on savings integrity via M&V has been learned over two decades for U.S. federal ESPC, but countries with developing ESPC markets would be wise to emphasize it as their markets emerge, allowing them to avoid some of the “growing pains” experienced in the U.S.

Coleman, Philip↗
DOE OSTI2022

Best Practices for Enhancing Performance Contracts with Monitoring-Based Commissioning

Fact sheet highlights best practices for incorporating monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx), a type of energy management information system (EMIS), in performance contracts. It draws from the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) report, Enhancing Performance Contracts Using Monitoring-based Commissioning. MBCx is commercially available, yet is underutilized in performance contracts. MBCx can result in significant benefits for both a federal facility and the performance contractor.

EMIS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Promoting Sustainable Transportation Modes: A Systematic Review of Behavior-Change Strategies

In previous studies, many travel-behavior-change strategies often relied on single behavior determinants or psychological theories, overlooking the incorporation of sociopsychological theories for guidance in their design. Integrating these theories could offer consistent guidance for program developers and enhance intervention effectiveness. This paper systematically reviews interventions targeting travel-behavior change, with a focus on self-determination theory and its principles of satisfying individuals’ competence, autonomy, and relatedness needs for enacting change. Additionally, experiment design methods, including randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs, are reviewed and discussed. Key findings highlight the effectiveness of personalized interventions and integrating feedback with goal-setting strategies. Given the limited direct references to sociopsychological theories in existing studies, we explore relevant sociopsychological theories applicable to travel-behavior-change programs to provide examples of how strategies could be designed based on them. This review contributes valuable insights into the development of strategies for changing travel behavior, offering a theoretical framework for researchers and practitioners to guide intervention design, experimentation, and evaluation. In conclusion, leveraging these theories not only facilitates reproducibility but also provides a standardized approach for transportation demand management program developers.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2018

NAMP Radiochemistry Webinars: The Next Educational Tool for the Next Generation Workforce - 18386

With an aging work force and only a few universities offering programs in radiochemistry, laboratories are increasingly finding it more challenging to hire and retain qualified radiochemists. Further, this challenge is a growing trend being seen worldwide. Expertise in radiochemistry is vital to advance our nation's progress in development of the next generation of nuclear reactor technology, drug discovery, environmental stewardship, and the development of technologies to prevent and respond to nuclear terrorist events. The National Analytical Management Program (NAMP) Education and Training subcommittee was established in response to the challenge of promoting radiochemistry and maintaining a well-educated work force to meet the projected growth in nuclear medicine, nuclear energy, safeguards, and nuclear forensics. The NAMP Education and Training subcommittee has offered radiochemistry webinars to a broad audience and is educating and strengthening the knowledge of participants in applications related to actinide and fission products chemistry, sample preparation, detection, dosimetry, nuclear forensics, nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear forensics, and risk assessment. These webinars are presented by renowned experts in the field of Radiochemistry. Additionally, through the partnering of the Education and Training subcommittee with various universities, the NAMP webinars offer a platform for graduate students, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral students to present their research to a wider audience. Since 2012, NAMP has conducted monthly, live webinars - all of which are recorded and archived as an online educational resource to the public from the NAMP web site (http://www.wipp.energy.gov/namp). With over 50 archived presentations, the NAMP webinars provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary examination of radiochemistry topics. By partnering with university professors and renowned scientific professionals, the NAMP continues to expand the list of webinar topics, increasing the depth of knowledge in this online resource and rapidly becoming the next educational tool in radiochemistry for the next generation workforce. (authors)

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

A Mixed Integer Linear Programming-basedDistributed Energy Management for Three-phaseUnbalanced Active Distribution Network

A mixed integer linear programming (MILP)–baseddistributed energy management for three-phase unbalancedactive distribution network is proposed. Modern distributionnetworks have becoming more and more active with increasingdeployment of microgrids, distributed energy resources (DERs)as well as controllable loads. Considering various ownership andcontrol models of microgrids, DERs and controllable loads, adistributed energy management was formulated using the alternatingdirection method of multipliers (ADMM) algorithm. ByADMM, the distribution management system (DMS) and theseactive components are coordinated through price signals, whichare adjusted according to the generation-load mismatch per nodeper phase. To enable resolution of the ADMM-based distributedoptimization using more accessible and popular MILP solver,different linearization techniques were proposed to linearize theaugmented Lagrangian terms and other nonlinear terms. Resultsof case studies on a three-phase active distribution network withthree microgrids and several DERs and controllable loads validatedthe effectiveness of proposed MILP-based distributed energymanagement. In addition, the capability of proposed method inmitigating phase power unbalance has been demonstrated.

Liu, Guodong↗
DOE OSTI2018

The BayREN Integrated Commercial Retrofits (BRICR) Project: An Introduction and Preliminary Results

BayREN Integrated Commercial Retrofits (BRICR) is a DOE-funded project which aims to enhance the capacity of energy efficiency programs to recruit participants, develop retrofits, and measure outcomes in small and medium-sized commercial buildings, a sector notoriously hard to reach and expensive to serve, that accounts for 2/3 of US commercial floor space. To address these barriers, BRICR leverages existing incentives, financing, data, and open source software to facilitate two paths for comprehensive improvements: a deep energy retrofit, or serial upgrades integrated into capital improvement and maintenance cycles. BRICR is developing an integrated workflow for iterative energy modeling of commercial buildings for city energy program managers and auditors - starting with mass building-scale simulation based on public records and proceeding through audit, retrofit, and measurement and verification stages. BRICR builds on existing tools including LBNL’s CBES, NREL’s OpenStudio, PNNL’s Audit Template, and DOE’s BuildingSync and SEED PlatformTM. At each stage, BRICR uses available information to inform simulations (starting with public records but iteratively augmented with observations from energy program staff) to improve the quality of the models that inform decision making. This paper presents initial results from energy models of 1699 office and retail buildings in San Francisco. Building stock data from public records were translated to create a BuildingSync file for each building which was stored in SEED. Each BuildingSync file was then translated to multiple OpenStudio Workflow files for EnergyPlus simulation to estimate energy savings of energy conservation measures (ECM). Energy savings predictions for each ECM were written back to an updated BuildingSync file for each building and re-uploaded to SEED. The distribution of baseline energy simulations was calibrated against the publicly disclosed distribution of energy benchmarking data to increase confidence in results.

Piette, M↗
DOE OSTI2014

FY 2014 Continuation of Solicitation for the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program

On January 28-30, 2014, the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) hosted its 14th National Confrerence and Global Forum on Science, Policy and the Environment: Building Climate Solutions. The conference was held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City near the Washington, DC National Airport. The conference engaged over 1,100 key individuals from a variety of fields, including natural and social sciences, humanities and engineering and government and policy, as well as business and civil society. They developed actionable partnerships, strategies and tactics that advanced solutions minimizing the impacts of anthropogenic climate change. The conference was organized around the two major areas where climate actions are necessary: [1] The Built Environment; and, [2] Agriculture and Natural Resources. This “multi-sector approach” of the conference enables participants to work across traditional boundaries of discipline, science, policy and application by engaging a diverse team of scientists, public- and private-sector program managers, and policy-makers. The confernce was two and a half days long. During this time, over 200 speakers presented in 8 keynote addresses, 7 plenary roundtable discussions, 30 symposia and 23 workshops. The goal of the workshops was to generate additional action through development of improved strategies, tools, and partnerships. During the workshops, participants developed actionable outcomes, committed to further collaboration and implementation, and outlined follow-up activities for post-conference. A list of recommendations from the workshop follows this summary. NCSE’s annual conference has become a signature event for the organization, recognized for its notable presenters, innovative programming, and outcome-oriented approach. Each year, over 1,100 participants attend the event, representing federal agencies, higher education institutions, state and local governments, non-governmental and civic organizations, businesses, and international entities.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Software Bill of Materials in the Nuclear Industry

Nuclear power plants (NPP) have thousands of digital assets throughout their facility. Typically, NPPs have asset and configuration management programs that capture the make, model, and version of a component. This information, however, usually only includes first- or second-tier components and does not capture the complete enumeration of software components and their dependencies within operational technology (OT) equipment. As seen with recent cyberattacks, this level of detail is insufficient for identifying if and where an exploitable vulnerability exists within a facility. A software bill of materials (SBOM) provides this detailed enumeration. Further, integrating SBOMs with vulnerability data sources and vulnerability attestation reports can provide improved awareness leading to better cyber risk management and incident response. Preferably, SBOMs are provided by the supplier; however, when an NPP already owns a device, it is less likely they will have a supplier provided-SBOM. Fortunately, SBOMs can be generated on installed digital assets. This paper provides an introduction to the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy paper titled “Towards Software Bill of Materials in the Nuclear Industry,” which describes the SBOM ecosystem and provides a suggested approach to methodically and seamlessly integrate an SBOM program in an NPP.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2016

Community-Scale Attic Retrofit and Home Energy Upgrade Data Mining - Hot Dry Climate

Retrofitting is an essential element of any comprehensive strategy for improving residential energy efficiency. The residential retrofit market is still developing, and program managers must develop innovative strategies to increase uptake and promote economies of scale. Residential retrofitting remains a challenging proposition to sell to homeowners, because awareness levels are low and financial incentives are lacking. The U.S. Department of Energy's Building America research team, Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI), implemented a project to increase residential retrofits in Davis, California. The project used a neighborhood-focused strategy for implementation and a low-cost retrofit program that focused on upgraded attic insulation and duct sealing. ARBI worked with a community partner, the not-for-profit Cool Davis Initiative, as well as selected area contractors to implement a strategy that sought to capitalize on the strong local expertise of partners and the unique aspects of the Davis, California, community. Working with community partners also allowed ARBI to collect and analyze data about effective messaging tactics for community-based retrofit programs. ARBI expected this project, called Retrofit Your Attic, to achieve higher uptake than other retrofit projects, because it emphasized a low-cost, one-measure retrofit program. However, this was not the case. The program used a strategy that focused on attics-including air sealing, duct sealing, and attic insulation-as a low-cost entry for homeowners to complete home retrofits. The price was kept below $4,000 after incentives; both contractors in the program offered the same price. The program completed only five retrofits. Interestingly, none of those homeowners used the one-measure strategy. All five homeowners were concerned about cost, comfort, and energy savings and included additional measures in their retrofits. The low-cost, one-measure strategy did not increase the uptake among homeowners, even in a well-educated, affluent community such as Davis. This project has two primary components. One is to complete attic retrofits on a community scale in the hot-dry climate on Davis, CA. Sufficient data will be collected on these projects to include them in the BAFDR. Additionally, ARBI is working with contractors to obtain building and utility data from a large set of retrofit projects in CA (hot-dry). These projects are to be uploaded into the BAFDR.

affordable housing↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Risk-Informed Performance-Based Methodology to Manage Fire Protection Systems in Nuclear Facilities

Fire protection systems (FPSs) and features are installed in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hazard Category 1, 2, or 3 nuclear facilities to protect property (maximum possible fire loss thresholds), life, and nuclear safety (i.e., structures, systems, and components). These FPSs and features are designed and maintained in accordance with the prescriptive guidance provided in applicable building codes and National Fire Protection Association codes and standards. Management, operations, and maintenance activities of FPSs involve significant effort. A DOE facility’s documented safety analysis or other safety basis document could also rely on FPSs to provide either a safety significant or safety class function to mitigate fire hazards and minimize radiological consequences. In some cases, the designation of safety significant or safety class may be determined to provide a layer of defense-in-depth to minimize nuclear safety risks independent of the fire risk. DOE standards allow the use of performance-based design alternatives developed by the fire industry but do not consider the defense-in-depth layers of protection provided in DOE facilities to prevent or mitigate the risks associated with unintended release of radioactive materials into the environment. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory developed a decision-making methodology tailored for DOE non-reactor nuclear facilities to manage FPSs and features by integrating nuclear safety risk insights into a performance-based analysis. This risk-informed, performance-based (RIPB) methodology can be used to provide the technical basis for classifying an FPS as safety class and safety significant, tailoring administrative controls (e.g., technical safety requirements), and ranking the importance of FPSs to prioritize maintenance, upgrades, and replacement activities. The RIPB methodology is a graded approach to inform DOE facility owners and Fire Protection Program managers of the most risk-significant FPSs and equipment, and those systems would be cost-beneficial to relax rigor if there is a need to re-design the FPS coverage or deviate from DOE and National Fire Protection Association standards for those systems that would be less significant. This paper describes the framework used to develop the RIPB methodology and the outcome of implementing this methodology in a use-case nuclear facility. This paper also discusses the impact to DOE policies and standards and the safety margins and defense-in-depth measures credited in nuclear safety assessments in a facility’s documented safety analysis and the benefits of implementing an RIPB methodology in lieu of a prescriptive method to comply with fire protection requirements.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Backfilling of Geological Disposal Facilities - Development of Optimized Backfill Material - 18146

In Belgium, low- and intermediate-level waste (B-waste) will be conditioned in concrete monoliths and high-level waste (C-waste) in so-called Super-containers (SCs). The Belgian radioactive waste management program has focused on the disposal of these waste types in two emplacement fields of a geological disposal facility (GDF). When the disposal waste packages (DWP) have been emplaced, backfilling of the galleries is supposed to be carried out in order to stabilize the galleries, to reduce voids, to guarantee a favourable chemical milieu with regard to the retention of the radionuclides, to minimize a possible gas pressure build-up, to dissipate radioactive decay heat and to enable good conditions for a potential retrieval of the DWP. The current reference solution is to mix the backfill at the surface and then to pump the mixture through pipeline distribution systems into the underground structures. The catalogue of backfill material requirements comprises common, but also different requirements due to the characteristics of the B and C waste packages and differences in the backfilling systems. It was found that two backfill material recipes have to be developed. Different requirements, such as high porosity (low strength and low gas threshold pressure) and high thermal conductivity have contrary consequences for the material. In addition, during backfill production quality variations of the raw materials that influence the backfill material properties can occur. Different lengths of the delivery pipeline may require adjustments of the material composition. In order to consider the practical experiences of backfill material production, one focus of the development programs was to identify compositional ranges that guarantee the respective material property. A combination of the individual 'conformity fields' results in optimal solutions for the standard operating conditions as well as a compositional range that guarantees compliance with the required material specifications. (authors)

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

Applications of GIS and remote sensing in public participation and stakeholder engagement for watershed management

The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies for the development of water quality management programs and for post-implementation assessments has increased dramatically in the past decade. This increase in adoption has been made more accessible through the interfaces of many popular software tools used in the regulation and assessment of water quality. Customized applications of these tools will increase, as ease of access and affordability of directly monitored and remotely sensed datasets improve over time. Concurrently, there is a need for inclusive participatory engagement with stakeholders to achieve solutions to current watershed management challenges. This paper explores the potential of these GIS and remote sensing datasets, tools, models, and immersive engagement technologies from other domains, for improving public participation and stakeholder engagement throughout the watershed planning process. To do so, an initial review is presented about the use of GIS and remote sensing in watershed management and its role in impairment identification, model development, and planning and implementation. Then, ways in which GIS and remote sensing can be integrated with stakeholder engagement through (1) leveraging GIS and remote sensing datasets, and (2) stakeholder engagement approaches including outreach and education, modeler-led development, and stakeholder-led involvement and feedback, are discussed. Finally, future perspectives on the potential for transforming public participation and stakeholder engagement in the watershed management process through applications of GIS and remote sensing are presented.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Laboratory Instrument Software Controlled Spread Spectrum Time Domain Reflectometry for Electrical Cable Testing

This research discusses development of a software-controlled laboratory instrument based spread spectrum time domain reflectometry system (SSTDR). This constitutes one task within PNNL’s Light Water Sustainability Program (LWRS) whose mission includes advancing nondestructive examination (NDE) techniques for off-line and on-line in-situ cable condition monitoring. In 2022, PNNL evaluated SSTDR for detection and characterization of a number of cable anomalies (Glass et al. 2022). The review included comparison of SSTDR to Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) techniques which have enjoyed encouraging feedback and are starting to be used in nuclear power plants for periodic cable condition monitoring of cable systems as part of the plant’s overall cable aging management program. The FDR test introduces a broad-band chirp onto the cable at the cable end then listens for any reflection from a change of impedance along the cable caused by a damaged conductor or insulation, splices, contact with moisture, or other cable anomalies. The signal is captured in the frequency domain then transformed back to the time domain using an inverse Fourier transform (IFT). Based on the velocity of propagation, the impedance response signal is plotted against distance along the cable. Peak locations along the X-axis indicate the distance along the cable where a portion of the signal has been reflected back to the instrument as a result of a cable anomaly. The FDR test is considered the gold standard of reflectometry however it does require the cable to be de-energized to perform the test. The LIVEWIRE commercial SSTDR produces a similar plot to the FDR however all processing is in the time domain. A pseudo-random noise code (PN code) is input onto the cable conductor and the instrument listens for any reflected response from cable anomalies. The SSTDR processes the signal as an autocorrelation comparing the input PN code to any reflected signal detected. The autocorrelation analysis for thermal aging, water and water ingress detection, ground fault and phase-to-phase fault detection at various locations along the cable and with the cable attached and detached from a motor load, and on both energized and un-energized conditions were performed. These results were contrasted to Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) measurements of the un-energized cable. Results were encouraging but indicated more work was warranted – particularly with the SSTDR, it seemed that the insulation damage would likely be better evaluated with multiple bandwidth cable tests particularly including larger bandwidths than were possible with the current commercial instrument. The commercial instrument’s bandwidth was set at 6, 12, 24, and 48MHz but note that SSTDR and FDR definitions of bandwidth trend similarly but are not the same. The FDR response could be more broadly adjusted, and the bandwidth of 100 to 500 MHz produced the best responses. FDR responses to anomalies were clearer than SSTDR responses and indications were that a broader bandwidth SSTDR may lead to improved SSTDR detection capability. This project used a laboratory instrument based SSTDR (primarily using an Arbitrary Waveform Generator (AWG) and a digital oscilloscope plus Python in-house software) that allowed software adjustment of the SSTDR bandwidth, window functions applied to the exciting Pseudo-random Noise (PN) code plus and other aspects of the SSTDR signal processing. Hereafter, this will be referred to as the PNNL SSTDR. Evaluating specific performance of the PNNL SSTDR is left to a separate report. This report documents hardware and software development to produce the SSTDR cable test system.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Characterization of spent nuclear fuel canister surface roughness using surface replicating molds

In this study we present a replication method to determine surface roughness and to identify surface features when a sample cannot be directly analyzed by conventional techniques. As a demonstration, this method was applied to an unused spent nuclear fuel dry storage canister to determine variation across different surface features. In this study, an initial material down-selection was performed to determine the best molding agent and determined that non-modified Polytek PlatSil23-75 provided the most accurate representation of the surface while providing good usability. Other materials that were considered include Polygel Brush-On 35 polyurethane rubber (with and without Pol-ease 2300 release agent), Polytek PlatSil73-25 silicone rubber (with and without PlatThix thickening agent and Pol-ease 2300 release agent), and Express STD vinylpolysiloxane impression putty. The ability of PlatSil73-25 to create an accurate surface replica was evaluated by creating surface molds of several locations on surface roughness standards representing ISO grade surfaces N 3 , N 5 , N 7 , and N 8 . Overall, the molds were able to accurately reproduce the expected roughness average (R a ) values, but systematically over-estimated the peak-valley maximum roughness (R z ) values. Using a 3D printed sample cell, several locations across the stainless steel spent nuclear fuel canister were sampled to determine the surface roughness. These measurements provided information regarding variability in normal surface roughness across the canister as well as a detailed evaluation on specific surface features (e.g., welds, grind marks, etc.). The results of these measurements can support development of dry storage canister ageing management programs, as surface roughness is an important factor for surface dust deposition and accumulation. This method can be applied more broadly to different surfaces beyond stainless steel to provide rapid, accurate surface replications for analytical evaluation by profilometry.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

2015 Peer Review Report

In the spring and summer of 2015, the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO or the Office) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) implemented an external peer review of the projects in its research, development and demonstration (RD&D) portfolio. The Office manages a diverse portfolio of technologies across the spectrum of applied RD&D within the dynamic context of changing budgets and Administration priorities. The Office portfolio is organized according to the biomass-to-bioenergy supply chain—from the feedstock source to the end user (see Figure 1)—with major focus on feedstock supply and biomass conversion. The 2015 Project Peer Review took place March 23-27, 2015, outside of Washington, D.C., in Alexandria, Virginia, and evaluated most of the publicly funded projects in BETO’s portfolio. The subsequent Program Management Review took place on June 25, 2015, in Washington, D.C., and provided an Office- level assessment of strategic planning and programmatic initiatives. The peer review process enables external stakeholders to provide feedback on the responsible use of taxpayer funding and develop recommendations for the most efficient and effective ways to accelerate the development of an advanced bioenergy industry. The planning and execution of these reviews was completed over the course of 10 months, and this report includes the results of both events.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Compliance of NNSS Activities with P322-4 Issues Management and NNSSWAC Requirements

The Institutional Quality and Performance Assurance Division's Quality Support Services Group conducted a surveillance of the compliance of Waste Management Program activities to Issues Management/Corrective Action requirements communicated in P322-4 and the Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance criteria (NNSSWAC). All corrective actions reviewed and records examined were found to be compliant with appropriate and relevant procedures. There were no Findings or Opportunities for Improvement noted.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗