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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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

A new development on measurement and control software of SANS BATAN spectrometer (SMARTer) in Serpong, Indonesia

In 2005, the main computer for data acquisition and control system of Small-angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) BATAN Spectrometer (SMARTer) was replaced since it halted to operate the spectrometer. According to this replacement, the new software for data acquisition and control system has been developed in-house. Visual Basic programming language is used in developing the software. In the last two years, many developments have been made both in the hardware and also the software to conduct the experiment is more effective and efficient. Lately, the previous motor controller card (ISA Card) was replaced with the programmable motor controller card (PCI Card) for driving one motor of position sensitive detector (PSD), eight motors of four collimators, and six motors of six pinhole discs. This new control system software makes all motors can be moved simultaneously, then it reduces significantly the consuming time of setting up the instrument before running the experiment. Along with that development, the new data acquisition software under MS Windows operating system is also developed to drive a beam stopper in X-Y directions as well as to read the equipment status such as position of the collimators and PSD, to acquire neutron counts on monitor and PSD detectors, and also to manage 12 samples position automatically. A timer object which is set in one second to read the equipment status via serial port of the computer (RS232C), and general purpose interface board (GPIB) for reading the total counts of each pixel of the PSD from histogram memory was used in this new software. The experiment result displayed in real time on the main window, and the data is saved in the special format for further data reduction and analysis. The new software has been implemented and performed for experiment using a preset count or preset time mode for absolute scattering intensity method.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-T-325: The New Evaluation Method of the VMAT Plan Delivery Using Varian DynaLog Files and Modulation Complexity Score (MCS)

Purpose: The aim of the study is to evaluate the use of Varian DynaLog files to verify VMAT plans delivery and modulation complexity score (MCS) of VMAT. Methods: Delivery accuracy of machine performance was quantified by multileaf collimator (MLC) position errors, gantry angle errors and fluence delivery accuracy for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). The relationship between machine performance and plan complexity were also investigated using the modulation complexity score (MCS). Plan and Actual MLC positions, gantry angles and delivered fraction of monitor units were extracted from Varian DynaLog files. These factors were taken from the record and verify system of MLC control file. Planned and delivered beam data were compared to determine leaf position errors and gantry angle errors. Analysis was also performed on planned and actual fluence maps reconstructed from those of the DynaLog files. This analysis was performed for all treatment fractions of 5 prostate VMAT plans. The analysis of DynaLog files have been carried out by in-house programming in Visual C++. Results: The root mean square of leaf position and gantry angle errors were about 0.12 and 0.15, respectively. The Gamma of planned and actual fluence maps at 3%/3 mm criterion was about 99.21. The gamma of the leaf position errors were not directly related to plan complexity as determined by the MCS. Therefore, the gamma of the gantry angle errors were directly related to plan complexity as determined by the MCS. Conclusion: This study shows Varian dynalog files for VMAT plan can be diagnosed delivery errors not possible with phantom based quality assurance. Furthermore, the MCS of VMAT plan can evaluate delivery accuracy for patients receiving of VMAT. Machine performance was found to be directly related to plan complexity but this is not the dominant determinant of delivery accuracy.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-G-206-05: A Comparison of Head Phantoms Used for Dose Determination in Imaging Procedures

Purpose: To determine similarities and differences between various head phantoms that might be used for dose measurements in diagnostic imaging procedures. Methods: We chose four frequently used anthropomorphic head phantoms (SK-150, PBU-50, RS-240T and Alderson Rando), a computational patient phantom (Zubal) and the CTDI head phantom for comparison in our study. We did a CT scan of the head phantoms using the same protocol and compared their dimensions and CT numbers. The scan data was used to calculate dose values for each of the phantoms using EGSnrc Monte Carlo software. An .egsphant file was constructed to describe these phantoms using a Visual C++ program for DOSXYZnrc/EGSnrc simulation. The lens dose was calculated for a simulated CBCT scan using DOSXYZnrc/EGSnrc and the calculated doses were validated with measurements using Gafchromic film and an ionization chamber. Similar calculations and measurements were made for PA radiography to investigate the attenuation and backscatter differences between these phantoms. We used the Zubal phantom as the standard for comparison since it was developed based on a CT scan of a patient. Results: The lens dose for the Alderson Rando phantom is around 9% different than the Zubal phantom, while the lens dose for the PBU-50 phantom was about 50% higher, possibly because its skull thickness and the density of bone and soft tissue are lower than anthropometric values. The lens dose for the CTDI phantom is about 500% higher because of its totally different structure. The entrance dose profiles are similar for the five anthropomorphic phantoms, while that for the CTDI phantom was distinctly different. Conclusion: The CTDI and PBU-50 head phantoms have substantially larger lens dose estimates in CBCT. The other four head phantoms have similar entrance dose with backscatter hence should be preferred for dose measurement in imaging procedures of the head. Partial support from NIH Grant R01-EB002873 and Toshiba Medical Systems Corp.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

A Unified Data-Driven Approach for Programming In Situ Analysis and Visualization: An Interim Report of Sandia Sub-Team Contributions

As we look ahead to next generation high performance computing platforms, the placement and movement of data is becoming the key-limiting factor on both performance and energy efficiency. Furthermore, the increased quantities of data the systems are capable of generating, in conjunction with the insufficient rate of improvements in the supporting I/0 infrastructure, is forcing applications away from the off-line post-processing of data towards techniques based on in ,situ analysis and visualization. Together, these challenges are shaping how we will both design and develop effective, performant and energy-efficient software. In particular, the challenges highlight the need for data and data-centric operations to be fundamental in the reasoning about, and optimization of, scientific workflows on extreme-scale architectures.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Annual Radioactive Waste Tank Inspection Program - 2018

The Department of Energy (DOE) requires that Savannah River Remediation LLC (SRR), the Liquid Waste contractor, maintain a robust and timely Structural Integrity Program for waste tanks that are leak-tight and for waste tanks that have leaked or are suspect. These requirements are promulgated in DOE Manual 435.1-1, Section II.Q.(2). A key aspect of SRR's implementation of these requirements is its annual tank inspection program. In 2018, the SRR Visual and In-Service Inspection Program used two visual imagery techniques to ascertain the integrity of the Savannah River Site (SRS) waste tanks: high resolution digital photography and closed-circuit television. The primary inspection method made use of direct photograph techniques, e.g., making a series of photographs providing detailed views of the tank and wide-angle photography for obtaining overviews of large areas. Closed-circuit television was then typically used to further investigate conditions found during the initial inspection. During 2018, a total of 4,853 photographs were taken and 47 video inspections were performed as part of this inspection program. Of the 51 waste tank systems at SRS that were designed, constructed, and placed into active service storing radioactive liquid waste, 43 remain in active service. Eight tanks have been cleaned, stabilized by filling with engineered grout, and removed from service (also known as operationally closed) -Tanks 5, 6, and 12 (Type I tanks); Tank 16 (Type II tank); and Tanks 17, 18, 19, and 20 (Type IV tanks). For the 43 waste tanks, inspections were successfully conducted in 2018 through all accessible annulus risers and inspection ports for nine Type I tanks, three Type II tanks, and 27 Type III/IIIA tanks; at least one inspection was made in the interior of four Type IV tanks (i.e., the tanks without annular spaces) above the liquid level in the tank. Rainwater continues periodically to be observed migrating into the annuli of some tanks. Evidence of this infiltration was primarily noted by observation of surface stains, and occasionally by calciferous deposits, changed configuration of salt deposits in the associated annulus, and mild surface corrosion. The conditions of the 43 tanks remained essentially unchanged from the conditions reported in 2017. The one key exception was the identification of eight new cracks in the Tank 15 primary tank wall. These newly identified cracks are located at 65, 67, 70, 76, 150, 152, 176 inches and 200 inches above the tank bottom. The identified cracks in Tank 15 do not constitute an impact on the structural integrity of the tank, as evaluated and confirmed in the referenced report, SRNS-STI-2008-00028, A Structural Impact Assessment of Flaws Detected During Ultrasonic Examination of Tank 15, and calculation, T-CLC-H-00890, Calculation of Critical Crack Lengths in HLW Tank 15. The 2018 inspection program confirmed the structural integrity and waste confinement capability of all 43 waste tanks.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

P4: Portable Parallel Processing Pipelines for Interactive Information Visualization

We present P4, an information visualization toolkit that combines declarative design specification and GPU computing for building high-performance interactive systems. Most of the existing information visualization toolkits do not harness the power of parallel processors in today's mainstream computers. P4 leverages GPU computing to accelerate both data processing and visualization rendering for interactive visualization applications. P4's programming interface offers a declarative visualization grammar for rapid specifications of data transformations, visual encodings, and interactions. By simplifying the development of GPU-accelerated visualization systems while supporting a high degree of flexibility and customization for design specification, P4 narrows the gap between expressiveness and scalability in information visualization toolkits. Through a range of examples and benchmark tests, we demonstrate that P4 provides high efficiency for creating interactive visualizations and offers drastic performance improvement over current state-of-the-art toolkits.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2018

NDE Technology Development Program for Hanford DST Non-Visual Volumetric Inspection Technology – Phase II; Technical Letter Report on Air-slot NDE Sensor Maturation Testing

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) located in Richland, Washington, hosted and administered Phase II Flaw Detection Performance Tests in August 2018 that allowed the newly matured ultrasonic guided wave phased-array (GWPA) air-slot NDE sensor—“Hanford-Probe A”—developed by Guidedwave to be evaluated for its flaw detection capability and repeatability. A portion of the Phase II Flaw Detection Performance Tests was performed on a subset of test flaws on which the original GWPA sensor was evaluated during Phase I Sensor Effectiveness Testing (SET) to facilitate a comparison in flaw detection performance between Hanford-Probe A and the original GWPA sensor demonstrated in Phase I. The objective of the performance comparison was to determine the extent to which GWPA sensor design changes impacted the flaw detection performance upon which selection of the sensor technology was originally based for the purpose of determining whether the flaw detection performance of the newly matured Hanford-Probe A GWPA air-slot NDE sensor is at least equal to that of the original GWPA sensor evaluated under Phase I SET. This technical letter report presents the results produced by the new Hanford-Probe A on the Phase I test flaws and the results of the flaw detection performance comparison between Hanford-Probe A and the original GWPA sensor demonstrated in Phase I.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2020

NDE Technology Engineering Program for Hanford DST Non-Visual Volumetric Inspection Technology: Phase II RAVIS Radiation Tolerance Test Report

This test report provides the results of radiation tolerance robustness testing that was performed on samples of robotic components and an ultrasonic guided wave air-slot sensor that represent components/sub-systems of the Robotic Air-slot Volumetric Inspection System (RAVIS) that has been engineered for volumetric inspection of Hanford tank bottom plates via under-tank refractory pad air-slots. The specific components tested for 1) functionality during active irradiation and 2) tolerance to cumulative radiation dose (until failure or upon reaching a cumulative dose test limit) were: • four samples each of a printed circuit board (PCB) and direct current (DC) motor, which are robotic components, and • 26 ultrasonic piezoelectric elements (samples) inside an air-slot sensor. The robotic components are part of the RAVIS air-slot inspection crawler drive control system that is responsible for remote communication with and actuation of the air-slot inspection crawler. The failure of either of these components during under-tank deployment would require manual retrieval via the crawler’s tether, which risks damage to the robot/refractory/tank. Preemptive replacement of the components at appropriately conservative dose/time intervals informed by failure dose would reduce the likelihood of under-tank failure. The components were included in radiation tolerance testing to quantify their failure doses to inform replacement intervals. The air-slot sensor is responsible for collecting ultrasonic inspection data (scan images) for the tank bottom plates during under-tank deployment. Compromised signal quality due to elevated noise levels caused by gamma radiation would compromise inspection performance. The air-slot sensor was included in radiation tolerance testing to quantify the impact of active irradiation on sensor signal quality. The irradiation and in-situ functional tests of the PCBs, DC motors and air-slot sensor took place in June and July 2020 at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Testing was performed at a gamma dose rate near 300 rad/hr., which, in the absence of under-tank dose rate data, has been conservatively estimated to be the upper-bound dose rate beneath the primary tanks at Hanford. Irradiation took place at elevated temperatures of 150-200°F to determine failure doses that reflect the compounding effects of gamma radiation and heat. The test results revealed: • The DC motors can tolerate being actively irradiated at the high dose rate at 200°F and can tolerate a cumulative dose of 300,000 rad, that which would be incurred after 5 years of service at the 300 rad/hr dose rate. The component therefore meets minimum and preferred radiation tolerance and lifecycle requirements for robotic components. • The air-slot sensor can tolerate being actively irradiated at the high dose rate at 150°F and can tolerate a cumulative dose of 60,000 rad, that which would be incurred after 1 year of service at the 300 rad/hr dose rate. The sensor therefore meets minimum radiation tolerance and lifecycle requirements. • The PCB can tolerate being actively irradiated at the high dose rate, but can only tolerate a cumulative dose of 19,000 rad at 150-200°F. The PCB does not meet minimum radiation tolerance and lifecycle requirements; however, because the component is considered replaceable, it can be replaced before a cumulative dose of 19,000 rad is reached, determined through either monitoring with a dosimeter or scheduled time intervals that are calculated based on conservative estimates of under-tank dose rates.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Marshall Islands Dose Assessment and Radioecology Program: Report on the (i) 2018 Visual Study of Exterior Concrete of the Cactus Crater Containment Structure (ii) Periodic Monitoring of Groundwater on Runit Island and (iii) Initial Health Risk Assessment from Contaminants in the Cactus Crater Containment Structure

In 2012, Congress passed P.L. 112-149, Insular Areas Act of 2011, which amended the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003 by assigning Cactus Crater containment monitoring and reporting requirements to the Secretary of Energy (Secretary). Effective January 1, 2012, the Secretary was required to “periodically (but not less frequently than every 4 years) conduct -- (I) a visual study of the concrete exterior of the Cactus Crater Containment Structure on Runit Island; and (II) a radiochemical analysis of the groundwater surrounding and in the Cactus Crater Containment Structure on Runit Island.” 48 U.S.C. 1921b(f)(1)(B)(i). The Secretary was also directed to submit to Congress a report describing the results of each visual survey and the radiochemical analysis and “a determination on whether the surveys and analyses indicate any significant change in the health risks to the people of Enewetak from the contaminants within the Cactus Crater Containment Structure.” 48 U.S.C. 1921b(f)(1)(B)(ii)(II).

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

Evaluation of H-Canyon Ventilation Exhaust Tunnel Inspection at the Savannah River Site - 20052

The Department of Energy (DOE) H-Canyon Facility at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is operated by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS). The Facility Structural Integrity Program [1] provides a process to inspect, evaluate, and document the conditions of passive safety related structural systems and components, their degradation mechanisms and their impact on the safety envelope. The Structural Integrity Program performs periodic visual inspections to confirm the systems and components can perform their safety function and recommend corrective actions before the function is compromised. The H-Canyon Exhaust Tunnel is part of the H-Canyon Ventilation System and is periodically inspected under the Structural Integrity Program. The Tunnel performs a Safety Class passive design feature function that is available 100% of the time. The underground reinforced concrete Tunnel directs Canyon process air from the Canyon to the Sand Filter System. The radiological and chemical airborne activity coupled with the physical configuration of the tunnel precludes a manned entry into the tunnel to perform the inspection. Unlike active systems that can be subjected to physical testing to confirm capability, qualification calculations, including modeling, is performed to assess passive design feature capabilities relative to operational, accident and natural phenomena hazards events. Input for these calculations come from knowledge of field conditions, design drawings and conservative assumptions. The knowledge of field conditions comes from concrete and soil testing activities as well as inspection data. The use of cameras on crawlers to obtain inspection data and how that data is used in qualification calculations is the focus of this discussion. Remote Tunnel inspections have been performed using cameras on a stick, referred to as pole cameras, prior to Calendar Year 2003 (CY2003). Since CY2003, six camera equipped crawlers have been used. Crawlers have evolved and improved by incorporating lessons learned from the previous inspections. The latest 2019 crawler successfully traveled the entire length of the tunnel between the Canyon and Sand Filter System and captured images that were previously unseen, thus providing key visual data for the Structural Integrity Program report [2]. The inspection data serves as 1) input to qualification calculations, 2) validates current conditions remain bounded by qualification calculations, and 3) documents a record of change over time. This data is vital for the effective evaluation of the tunnel structure and aids with predicting the life cycle service life safety envelope to protect the public, environment, and facility worker. The goal of the 2019 deployment was to use a more robust vehicle to ensure travel over obstacles, perform the inspection with higher resolution cameras, and have the ability to elevate the cameras to view surfaces previously obscured by abandon-in-place ducts in the tunnel. The inspection information will serve to strengthen the input basis for qualification calculations, versus using excessive conservative calculation assumptions. This 2019 inspection was compared with previous crawler visual evidence to identify change over time to project remaining service life and confirm field conditions remain bounded by qualification calculations. The results of the 2019 Exhaust Tunnel inspection continue to improve and provide a firm basis to make sound engineering judgements regarding tunnel capability and approaches in projecting remaining service life with an aging system and component. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

H-Canyon Ventilation System Exhaust Tunnel Inspection at the Savannah River Site - 18052

The Department of Energy (DOE) H-Canyon Facility at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is operated by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS). The Facility Structural Integrity Program (SIP) performs periodic visual inspections to confirm the component is capable of performing its safety function. This Program provides the process to document the conditions of safety related structural systems and components, their damage mechanisms, and recommend repairs if required before there is impact on the safety envelope. The H-Canyon Exhaust Tunnel is part of the H-Canyon Exhaust Ventilation System and is periodically inspected under the Structural Integrity Program. The Tunnel performs a Safety Class passive design feature function that is available 100% of the time. The Tunnel directs Canyon process air from the Canyon to the Sand Filter System. The radiological and chemical airborne activity coupled with the physical configuration of the tunnel precludes a manned entry into the tunnel. Tunnel inspections have been performed using cameras on a stick, referred to as pole cameras prior to CY2003. Since CY2003, five camera equipped crawlers have been used with varying levels of inspection success. With each successive crawler inspection, expectations have increased to perform tasks beyond visual examinations. The 2017 crawler performed the visual inspection but also included improvements on crawler performance, such as testing the use of wireless capability and remediation of crawler travel route, to the addition of stationary cameras and lighting at key locations. The latest 2017 crawler successfully traveled the entire length of the tunnel between the Canyon and Sand Filter System for the second time since development, thus providing key visual data for the integrity program [2]. In addition, several access ports were installed in 2017 following the removal of concrete core samples that allow for new visual inspection of the Canyon Crossover tunnel, thus providing information for an area that was generally inaccessible for monitoring. Planning for the 2019 crawler inspection is underway with the expectations to improve upon inspection cameras and also introduce mapping technologies such as LIDAR. The challenge to obtain meaningful data from the remote inspections of a 60+ year operating Canyon Exhaust tunnel continues to be a complex endeavor requiring close coordination of multiple organizations, adherence to Conduct of Operations, Radiological Safety, Worker Safety, etc. principles as well as alignment with Facility Safety Basis requirements. This paper discusses the continuing improvements in inspection techniques and the challenges associated these inspections. (authors)

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

SorpPropLib : An Open-Source Database for Sorption Equilibrium Properties

Hundreds of sorption working pair equilibrium measurements have been reported in the literature, and many experimental results have been fitted to equilibrium equations. However, an open database does not exist for the equilibrium equations. Therefore, this work compiled 438 published equilibrium equations of sorption working pairs into an open-source database called SorpPropLib. SorpPropLib is accessible from six programming environments commonly used in sorption cycle simulation (C++, Excel®, Python®, Matlab®, Modelica® and Lab-VIEW™). Plotting capabilities allow fast cycle visualization in each programming environment. Thereby, the open-source database SorpPropLib aims to enable and encourage easy data sharing to advance sorption research.

Engelpracht, Mirko↗
DOE OSTI2014

Visual Sample Plan Version 7.0 User's Guide

User's guide for VSP 7.0 This user's guide describes Visual Sample Plan (VSP) Version 7.0 and provides instructions for using the software. VSP selects the appropriate number and location of environmental samples to ensure that the results of statistical tests performed to provide input to risk decisions have the required confidence and performance. VSP Version 7.0 provides sample-size equations or algorithms needed by specific statistical tests appropriate for specific environmental sampling objectives. It also provides data quality assessment and statistical analysis functions to support evaluation of the data and determine whether the data support decisions regarding sites suspected of contamination. The easy-to-use program is highly visual and graphic. VSP runs on personal computers with Microsoft Windows operating systems (XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8). Designed primarily for project managers and users without expertise in statistics, VSP is applicable to two- and three-dimensional populations to be sampled (e.g., rooms and buildings, surface soil, a defined layer of subsurface soil, water bodies, and other similar applications) for studies of environmental quality. VSP is also applicable for designing sampling plans for assessing chem/rad/bio threat and hazard identification within rooms and buildings, and for designing geophysical surveys for unexploded ordnance (UXO) identification.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2017

HFEM3D

Software solves the three-dimensional Poisson equation div(k(grad(u)) = f, by the finite element method for the case when material properties, k, are distributed over hierarchy of edges, facets and tetrahedra in the finite element mesh. Method is described in Weiss, CJ, Finite element analysis for model parameters distributed on a hierarchy of geometric simplices, Geophysics, v82, E155-167, doi:10.1190/GEO2017-0058.1 (2017). A standard finite element method for solving Poisson’s equation is augmented by including in the 3D stiffness matrix additional 2D and 1D stiffness matrices representing the contributions from material properties associated with mesh faces and edges, respectively. The resulting linear system is solved iteratively using the conjugate gradient method with Jacobi preconditioning. To minimize computer storage for program execution, the linear solver computes matrix-vector contractions element-by-element over the mesh, without explicit storage of the global stiffness matrix. Program output vtk compliant for visualization and rendering by 3rd party software. Program uses dynamic memory allocation and as such there are no hard limits on problem size outside of those imposed by the operating system and configuration on which the software is run. Dimension, N, of the finite element solution vector is constrained by the the addressable space in 32-vs-64 bit operating systems. Total storage requirements for the problem. Total working space required for the program is approximately 13*N double precision words.

Weiss, Chester J↗
DOE OSTI2019

Technology Applicable to Remote Hazardous Constituents and Waste Stream Grouping

Originally, Rocky Flats transuranic (TRU) waste was managed from waste streams that were composed of similar chemical constituents and were generated from identical processes. Early waste processing at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) maintained the Rocky Flats record until INL began generating their own item description codes (IDCs). Ultimately TRU waste management at INL was driven to combine wastes from all IDCs that were assigned by Rocky Flats to a summary category group regardless of whether the chemical constituents in the waste were known or not. At this point, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) certified program requirements to process the TRU waste according to waste streams was nearly eliminated. In April 2018, operations in the Sludge Repackage Project (SRP) area were halted by a radiological materials release accident in which drums containing waste experienced a loss of containment after over-pressurization occurred. Four SRP drums, repackaged in the Accelerated Retrieval Project (ARP) V area, had an adverse, delayed chemical reaction event occur when prohibited materials from one container were mixed with chemically-incompatible materials from other containers in the repackaging process. This incident was the direct result of processing unknowns under a protocol where the components of the waste were added to incompatible materials resulting in a run-away reaction. After a Difficult Waste Team (DWT) and Los Alamos National Laboratory – Carlsbad Operations (LANL-CO) subject matter expert (SME) visit in September 2019, it was determined by the team that all of the work observed on the September visit was performed upstream of the certified program and that the Visual Examination (VE) and other methods typically used by the certified program were being used for Acceptable Knowledge (AK) augmentation. This augmentation was needed in order to determine what the constituents in the waste might be, and is based primarily on collections of VE results. The waste at INL that is being processed in what is considered to be the Priority 2 (yellow) and Priority 3 (red) lists either needs AK to be completed before certified characterization can occur or is waiting to be processed because the waste has been mixed with unknown wastes resulting in a lack of information that could have impact of the ability to certify and ship the waste to the WIPP.

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

A dataset of eco-evidence tools to inform early-stage environmental impact assessments of hydropower development

The datasets described herein provide the foundation for a decision support prototype (DSP) toolkit aimed at assisting stakeholders in determining evidence of which aspects of river ecosystems have been impacted by hydropower. The DSP toolkit and its application are presented and described in the article “Evidence-based indicator approach to guide preliminary environmental impact assessments of hydropower development” [1]. Development of the DSP and the output for decision support centralize around 42 river function indicators describing the dimensionality of river ecosystems through six main categories: biota and biodiversity, water quality, hydrology, geomorphology, land cover, and river connectivity. Three main tools are represented in the DSP: A science-based questionnaire (SBQ), an environmental envelope model (EEM), and a river function linkage assessment tool (RFLAT). The SBQ is a structured survey-style questionnaire whose objective is to provide evidence of which indicators have been impacted by hydropower. Based on a global literature review, 140 questions were developed from general hypotheses regarding the impacts of dams on rivers. The EEM is a model to predict the likelihood of hydropower impacting indicators based on a several variables. The intended use of the EEM is for situations of new hydropower development where results of the SBQ are incomplete or highly uncertain. The EEM was developed through the compilation of a dataset containing attributes of dams, reservoirs, and geospatial information on environmental concerns, which was combined with data on ecological indicators documented at those sites through literature review. The model operates through 247 “envelopes” and weighting factors, representing the individual effect of each variable on each indicator, all available through spreadsheets. Finally, the RFLAT is a tool to examine causal relationships amongst indicators. Inter-indicator relationships were hypothesized based on literature review and summarized into node and edge datasets to represent the structure of a graphical network. Bayes theorem was used estimate conditional probabilities of inter-indicator relationships based on the output of the SBQ. Nodes and edges were imported into R programming environment to visualize ecological indicator networks. The datasets can be expanded upon and enriched with more detailed questions for the SBQ, building upon the EEM with to develop more sophisticated models, and identifying new relationships for the RFALT. Additionally, once the tools are applied to numerous hydropower developments, the output of the tools (e.g. evidence of impacted indicators) becomes a very useful dataset for meta-analyses of hydropower impacts.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗