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At least 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Experimental analysis of convective drying of paper and board

Conventional multi-cylinder drying of paper and board involves a mixture of conductive drying from steam-heated dryer cylinders and convective drying by the flow of heated air over the surface of the paper web in the pockets. Pocket ventilation is a critical component in assisting heat and mass transfer during the drying process but is the primary contributor towards removing evaporated water from the web. Air temperature, velocity, and humidity are critical parameters involved in the convective drying process. This paper covers an experimental study involving the design and development of a small lab-scale setup for convective drying of various grades of paper and board, monitoring multiple parameters like paper temperature, moisture content, air humidity, temperature, and velocity measured in situ as the drying proceeds with continuous and accurate sampling capabilities for all parameters in the sample and the system. Instantaneous drying rates, heat, and mass transfer coefficients were also deduced for every time step till the paper completely dried. Furthermore, the coefficients obtained were also reported in the form of dimensionless correlations, and the results were compared against traditional correlations used in the modelling of paper drying. Furthermore, this data will be useful in process development, modelling, design, and the paper drying process simulation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2016

Prototype Demonstration of Gamma- Blind Tensioned Metastable Fluid Neutron/Multiplicity/Alpha Detector – Real Time Methods for Advanced Fuel Cycle Applications

The content of this report summarizes a multi-year effort to develop prototype detection equipment using the Tensioned Metastable Fluid Detector (TMFD) technology developed by Taleyarkhan [1]. The context of this development effort was to create new methods for evaluating and developing advanced methods for safeguarding nuclear materials along with instrumentation in various stages of the fuel cycle, especially in material balance areas (MBAs) and during reprocessing of used nuclear fuel. One of the challenges related to the implementation of any type of MBA and/or reprocessing technology (e.g., PUREX or UREX) is the real-time quantification and control of the transuranic (TRU) isotopes as they move through the process. Monitoring of higher actinides from their neutron emission (including multiplicity) and alpha signatures during transit in MBAs and in aqueous separations is a critical research area. By providing on-line real-time materials accountability, diversion of the materials becomes much more difficult. The Tensioned Metastable Fluid Detector (TMFD) is a transformational technology that is uniquely capable of both alpha and neutron spectroscopy while being “blind” to the intense gamma field that typically accompanies used fuel – simultaneously with the ability to provide multiplicity information as well [1-3]. The TMFD technology was proven (lab-scale) as part of a 2008 NERI-C program [1-7]. The bulk of this report describes the advancements and demonstrations made in TMFD technology. One final point to present before turning to the TMFD demonstrations is the context for discussing real-time monitoring of SNM. It is useful to review the spectrum of isotopes generated within nuclear fuel during reactor operations. Used nuclear fuel (UNF) from a light water reactor (LWR) contains fission products as well as TRU elements formed through neutron absorption/decay chains. The majority of the fission products are gamma and beta emitters and they represent the more significant hazards from a radiation protection standpoint. However, alpha and neutron emitting uranium and TRU elements represent the more significant safeguards and security concerns. Table 1.1 presents a representative PWR inventory of the uranium and actinide isotopes present in a used fuel assembly. The uranium and actinide isotopes (chiefly the Pu, Am and Cm elements) are all emitters of alpha particles and some of them release significant quantities of neutrons through spontaneous fissions

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Construction and Testing of Data Acquisition Components for the Hall A Compton Polarimeter

Nuclear physics experiments require accurate knowledge of the spin polarization of the electron beam delivered to the experimental halls. Hall A is upgrading its Compton polarimeter in support of the lab's 12 GeV beam energy upgrade. This project centered around the data acquisition (DAQ) system for the scattered-photon detection component of the polarimeter. The goal was to test whether the DAQ software and hardware are capable of capturing, recording, and processing electron helicity-dependent scattering rate asymmetry data at high rates, while maintaining appropriate accuracy. We created the necessary circuits, and are able to reliably extract asymmetries of between 0.5{\%} and 11.5{\%} to 0.2{\%}. We did this in a deadtime-free regime at rates between 100 KHz and 350 KHz. We currently are unable to measure the system deadtime after it becomes manifest at about 350 KHz. These tests support the use of a scaled version of this configuration.

Hill, Joshua↗
DOE OSTI2016

LANL Institutional Decision Support By Process Modeling and Analysis Group (AET-2)

AET-2 has expertise in process modeling, economics, business case analysis, risk assessment, Lean/Six Sigma tools, and decision analysis to provide timely decision support to LANS leading to continuous improvement. This capability is critical during the current tight budgetary environment as LANS pushes to identify potential areas of cost savings and efficiencies. An important arena is business systems and operations, where processes can impact most or all laboratory employees. Lab-wide efforts are needed to identify and eliminate inefficiencies to accomplish Director McMillan’s charge of “doing more with less.” LANS faces many critical and potentially expensive choices that require sound decision support to ensure success. AET-2 is available to provide this analysis support to expedite the decisions at hand.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2023

DOE Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program Overview

Slides discussing the DOE Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program Overview to include focus on LEU UCO TRISO fuel in cylindrical compacts, with data for fuel qualification in support of reactor licensing and a path to establish a domestic commercial TRISO fuel fabrication capability. Timelines from 2004 through 2029. Major program highlights include: Developed fuel performance models based on past observed behavior, Study to understand differences between US and German (“good”) fuel, Developed and improved fuel fabrication and characterization methods, Fabricated lab-scale fuel (AGR-1) with very high quality; excellent in-pile and post-irradiation high-temperature fuel performance, Scale-up coating fabrication (AGR-2) with excellent in-pile performance, AGR-3/4 fuel fabrication and irradiation experiment to assess FP transport behavior, Scale-up matrix fabrication (AGR-5/6/7); & fuel performance evaluation in progress.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Space Power

For almost 50 years, the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) has developed solar cells to power satellites and spacecraft. Today, NLR is working to improve the durability, performance, and affordability of several photovoltaic (PV) materials for space and power beaming applications. The lab works closely with partners to ensure this research can be quickly and widely adopted.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Ultrasonic Acoustic Deterrent in Reducing Bat Fatalities at Wind Energy Facilities

This project was designed to use thermal video cameras and fatality monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of an ultrasonic acoustic deterrent (UAD) on bat activity and mortality, respectively. Our goals were to redesign the UAD device and installation infrastructure, determine the placement on wind turbines to optimize safety, compatibility and functionality, and to compare the mortality among the following conditions: Control (deterrents off and turbines feathered up to the manufacturer’s cut-in speed of 3.5 m/s), Deterrent (deterrents on and turbines feathered up to the manufacturer’s cut-in speed of 3.5 m/s), Curtailment (deterrents off and turbines feathered up to 5/ m/s), and combination (deterrents on and turbines feathered up to 5 m/s). The project was divided into a Feasibility Study and Comparative Study. The objectives for the Feasibility Study were to develop an installation strategy, redesign a previous iteration of a UAD to improve performance and weatherization, and test the effectiveness of the deterrents on bat activity. The Feasibility Study was intended to work out potential issues using a relatively small number of devices prior to manufacturing and installing numerous devices for a larger-scale comparative study. The division of the project into these separate studies was based on previous experience and the challenges of assessing the capabilities of an untested UAD. During the initial development and manufacturing of the UAD, NRG Systems decided to use a piezoelectric transducer rather than an electrostatic transducer, which was used by a previous device (i.e. Deaton UAD). NRG Systems conducted lab testing (i.e., IP67 or Ingress Protection) to ensure no water or dust ingress. In addition, shock/drop trials and variations in temperature exposure were conducted as part of the reliability testing. NRG Systems also developed a communications system to allow for continuous performance monitoring of the UADs. For the Feasibility Study, we installed 6 UADs on each of 2 Gamesa G90 2-MW wind turbines (Turbine 14 and 8) at the South Chestnut Wind Energy Facility, Pennsylvania and monitored activity under control and treatment (i.e. Deterrent) conditions using thermal video monitoring. There are two major sources of variation in bat activity (beyond the anticipated treatment effect): 1) environment around the turbines might inherently favor more activity at one than the other; 2) weather conditions on any given night or within season difference (e.g., migration later during the study period) might favor more activity on some nights than on other nights. Because we could only monitor two turbines on any night, we sought to control the potential influences of these two sources by alternating the turbine on which deterrents were activated each night. If there were no loss of data due to technical failures, this design would result in an equal number of deterrent and control nights at each turbine through the monitoring period, balancing the effects of both sources of variation. We compared the time bats spent and the number of events that occurred in overlapping cameras FOV as an indicator of risk, since 80% of the overlapping FOV of the cameras was in the RSA. Equipment failures, majority due to lightning, resulted in only 17 nights with useable data, with unbalanced treatment assignment within turbines and uneven distribution of treatment assignment throughout the observational period. This resulted in a confounding of treatment assignment and seasonal change. Deterrent treatment was measured at Turbine 14 on only 2 of the first 8 usable nights (spanning the period from 8/18-9/17), whereas 6 times on Turbine 8. From 9/18-927, deterrent was on at Turbine 14 on 6 of the remaining 10 nights, and 4 on Turbine 8. We recorded a total of 1,057 bats and observed a reduction in number of events and duration of events at the UAD-activated turbine when it was Turbine 14. When Turbine 8 had the UAD activated, we observed no difference in number or duration of events. Variation between turbines is not unusual and can cause issues when study designs have no true replication, i.e., multiple turbines per treatment. Within-turbine differences suggested a trend for reduced activity when UADs were activated, particularly for Turbine 14. These results may be caused by the overall higher bat activity at Turbine 8 and confounding of treatment assignment and seasonal trends. We mapped 58 bat events in 3-dimensional space (3D), 30 and 28 events during control and treatment conditions, respectively. We observed bats crossing the rotor plane under both control and treatment conditions and observed a total of 40 confirmed or near-collisions (i.e., target close to blade but no visual confirmation of a strike) out of a total of 1,491 medium and high confidence bat observations (880 control, 611 at treatment). Twice as many collisions/possible collisions were observed during control conditions. Given the challenges with the equipment and potential confounding of the data (i.e., different activity levels at the two wind turbines), we were unable to determine whether this initial turbine placement and orientation was optimal. Given no new information on how best to install the devices, we elected to use the same placement and orientation for the comparative study. For the Comparative Study, the objectives were to investigate the relative mortality rates among 4 treatments. We searched the area within 90 m of each turbine daily to recover the highest number of fresh fatalities possible. We were unable to detect a clear reduction in mortality from deterrents alone for any individual species. Surprisingly, mortality rate of the eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) was estimated to be 1.3–4.2 times as much when turbines were operating normally and UADs were on than when UADs were off. Reduction in mortality of all bat species combined due to curtailment of turbines was estimated to be between 0%–38%. This effect was nullified when, in addition to curtailment, UADs were on, with 95% confidence interval ranging from a 45% reduction to a 36% increase in mortality. This was likely due to the large proportion of eastern red bats in the total carcass population. Mortality of all low-frequency echolocating bats combined (i.e. hoary bat [L. cinereus], big brown bat [Eptesicus fuscus], silver-haired bat [Lasionycteris noctivagans]) relative to control was lower when curtailed (95% CI: 0%–74%), but the addition of UADs had no detectable effect (95%CI: 13%–79%). The combined treatment reduced mortality in silver-haired bats relative to control by 11%–99%, compared to curtailment (81% reduction–67% increase) or deterrent (82% reduction–67% increase) alone. Because silver-haired bats comprised a large proportion of low-frequency calling bats found during this study, a similar effect was seen for that group. The higher mortality observed for eastern red bats at UAD compared to control could have been caused by several factors, such as the effective range of the UAD, particularly at higher frequencies, behavior, positioning of the devices on the nacelle, or a combination of these. We used 3D thermal videography to compare control and UAD bat behavior from two turbines using a total of 203 3D bat-tracks across 34 nights. We recorded a similar number of bat-tracks between treatment groups, with 51% and 49% for control and UAD, respectively. Due to potential differences in bat behavior around spinning vs stationary turbine blades, we examined UAD effectiveness separately for non-operating turbines (feathered below cut-in speed of 3.5 m/s) and operating (normal operation above wind speed of 3.5 m/s). We found a higher proportion of bat-tracks at operating turbines (82%) compared to non-operating turbines (18%), although this does not account for overall time turbines were operating versus not. At non-operating turbines the UAD appears to be effective at reducing the amount of time, flight length, and number of passes through the rotor plane, compared to control. In addition, we found bats approached turbines similarly between control and treatment turbines, with 61% of control and 63% of UAD bat-tracks originating leeward of the hub. In contrast, at operating turbines, we saw little change in bat behavior in response to UADs. For example, we found an increase in the average duration of bat-tracks between non-operating and operating turbines for UAD but at control turbines we found average duration decreased once turbines became operational. Both control and UAD had a high proportion of bat-tracks that crossed the rotor plane (i.e., collision risk) originate from the windward side when turbines were operational 65% to 92%, respectively. Given that the UAD devices closest to the blades were orientated parallel to the blades, its possible bats were not exposed to the signal until they were close to the turbine blades, as suggested by the slightly higher mean duration within 5 meters of the blades for UAD turbines. Future research should consider concentrating UAD intensity on the areas of risk (i.e. blades) with enough buffer to allow bats to react to the sound before entering the rotor-swept area (RSA). In addition, investigating the potential of installing UAD units windward of the turbine blades (e.g. a hub-mounted UAD), particularly since even under control conditions, a relatively high proportion (65%) of crosses through the blade plane originated windward. 3D thermal videography provided valuable information on future testing strategies (e.g. device placement, UAD orientation) to improve UAD effectiveness when bats are at risk (i.e., operating wind turbines). Across the entire project we experienced issues with the operation and communication with the UADs. Most of the issues occurred during the Feasibility Study and were resolved prior to the Comparability Study. Additional challenges surfaced during the Comparability Study but were remedied immediately and are thought to have little impact on the results. We had logistical constraints at the project that limited our ability use traditional methods in our camera calibration. Several calibrations showed inaccurate scales, which may have been related to inadequate spatial coverage of “points” in the camera calibration volume. Because we were using actual video recordings of bats at a wind turbine, the behavior of bats could have concentrated “points” in specific areas of the turbine (i.e. leeward of nacelle), and limited “points” in other areas, resulting in camera calibration issues. We have plans to address these inconsistencies and improving the software and related methodologies by early 2020.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Techno-Economic Analysis: Best Practices and Assessment Tools

A team at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) recognized the growing need to maintain and organize the internal community of Techno - Economic Assessment analysts at the lab . To meet this need, an internal core team identified a working group of experienced, new, and future analysts to: 1) document TEA best practices; 2) identify existing resources at Sandia and elsewhere; and 3) identify gaps in our existing capabilities . Sandia has a long history of using techno - economic analyses to evaluate various technologies , including consideration of system resilience . Expanding our TEA capabilities will provide a rigorous basis for evaluating science, engineering and technology - oriented projects, allowing Sandia programs to quantify the impact of targeted research and development (R&D), and improving Sandia's competitiveness for external funding options . Developing this working group reaffirms the successful use of TEA and related techniques when evaluating the impact of R&D investments, proposed work, and internal approaches to leverage deep technical and robust, business - oriented insights . The main findings of this effort demonstrated the high - impact TEA has on future cost, adoption for applications and impact metric forecasting insights via key past exemplar applied techniques in a broad technology application space . Recommendations from this effort include maintaining and growing the best practices approaches when applying TEA, appreciating the tools (and their limits) from other national laboratories and the academic community, and finally a recognition that more proposals and R&D investment decision s locally at Sandia , and more broadly in the research community from funding agencies , require TEA approaches to justify and support well thought - out project planning.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2022

DARHT : Enduring Lessons from a Technical Project in a National Laboratory Context [Slides]

The Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test (DARHT) facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is the world’s first flash x-ray facility able to take multiple high-resolution radiographs of the interior features of fast-moving dense objects during a single experiment. DARHT’s radiography and complimentary diagnostics makes it an important diagnostic tool in support of the US Department of Energy’s (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)’s stewardship of the US nuclear deterrent. The project to construct DARHT ran from 1988 through 2003. Initial Operating Capability along a single axis began in 1999. A technical issue delayed Critical Decision 4 for the full dual-axis capability until 2008. DARHT was characterized by several directed changes resulting from an environmental impact study, changes to the global security context resulting from the end of underground nuclear testing, and rapid evolution of applicable technology. Conventional building and lab-space construction were part of the project, but the project was dominated by Special Facility Equipment that, together with the mission to support the nuclear weapons program, required the project to be completed by national laboratories. Although the project pre-dated implementation of DOE Order 413.3, several important lessons for national laboratory projects remain applicable today and will be discussed here, including projects appropriate for the national laboratory environment, scope stability, risk acceptance and mitigation, communication, and collaboration. Finally, considerations for DOE contractor project managers are offered based upon the DARHT experience.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2026

Extending Component Lifetime And Improving Inverter Reliability (ECLAIIR)

Inverter reliability remains one of the most persistent challenges limiting the performance, availability, and economic viability of utility‑scale photovoltaic (PV) plants. Industry data consistently show that inverters account for the highest share of corrective maintenance events and unplanned outages across PV fleets. These failures result in energy losses, increased O&M costs, and reduced confidence in long‑term solar asset performance. Motivated by these challenges, this project—Extending Component Lifetime and Improving Inverter Reliability (ECLAIIR)—was undertaken to systematically investigate inverter degradation and failure mechanisms, develop predictive maintenance capabilities, and establish data‑driven pathways to improve service life and reduce the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for large‑scale PV systems. The primary goal of the project was to identify pre‑failure signatures in string inverters using both lab‑based accelerated lifetime testing and field‑based data and to develop predictive maintenance algorithms that can anticipate inverter faults before they occur. Through collaboration with inverter testing laboratory, solar PV plant owner, and failure‑analysis experts, the project advanced the technical understanding of inverter reliability. By instrumenting inverters with thermistors, humidity sensors, power‑quality meters, and acoustic sensors, the research established how multiple sensing modalities can reliably detect deviations from normal behavior hours to days before failure. These findings substantially enhance scientific understanding of inverter failure kinetics and provide the PV industry with the most comprehensive cross‑OEM characterization of early‑stage failure indicators reported to date. Technically, the project demonstrated the effectiveness of predictive maintenance by developing and validating the PreDICT (Predictive Diagnostics of PV Inverters Using Condition Monitoring and Trend Analysis) framework—a multi‑layer diagnostic architecture combining peer‑to‑peer analytics, historical trend modeling, and advanced machine‑learning techniques such as the Sequential Conditional Variational Autoencoder (SCVAE). This predictive model achieved more than 90% accuracy in detecting pre‑failure conditions and provided up to four days of lead time before inverter failure in field scenarios. Economically, the project’s LCOE analysis showed that predictive maintenance can reduce lifetime energy losses and minimize corrective maintenance interventions. Modeling indicated that, depending on inverter failure rates and replacement timelines, predictive maintenance can significantly reduce LCOE impacts associated with inverter downtime: from as high as 19.4% under conventional maintenance strategies to 0.1%–10.17% when predictive analytics are adopted. These results confirm that predictive maintenance is both technically feasible and economically advantageous for utilities and plant operators. The project’s findings also have broad public benefit. By improving inverter reliability and reducing downtime, predictive maintenance directly increases electricity generation from existing PV assets. Enhanced reliability lowers operational costs for utilities, which can translate over time into lower energy costs for consumers. Furthermore, the project’s technical publications, conference presentations, and industry workshops ensure that knowledge gained is shared broadly across the solar industry, supporting workforce development and enabling utilities of all sizes to adopt modern asset‑health monitoring practices. The retrofitting case study and service‑life prediction framework further support informed decision‑making for aging PV fleets, helping operators extend system life and reduce electronic waste. In summary, the ECLAIIR project significantly advanced the state of knowledge on inverter degradation, demonstrated the technical and economic value of predictive maintenance, and delivered actionable tools and insights that support more reliable, cost‑effective, and sustainable PV plant operation. The outcomes of this project will continue to inform utility practices, guide inverter design improvements, and strengthen the long‑term performance of solar assets nationwide.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Linac Options for the Ion Injector of MEIC Project

In the current baseline design of the Medium-energy Electron-Ion Collider (MEIC) proposed by Jefferson Lab, a green field ion injector complex is composed of several ion sources, one linac with charge stripper, and one booster ring. The original linac design contains a short warm front end and a long SRF section with QWR/HWR cavities, capable of accelerating H- to 285 MeV or Pb67+ to 100 MeV/u. Such a linac is a major cost driver of the project, despite that the required duty factor of this linac is very low. In this paper, we will compare alternative options for this ion linac, including the possibilities to lower the linac energy and choose a warm linac.

Guo, Jiquan↗
DOE OSTI2014

Letter Report Documenting Progress of Second Generation ATF FeCrAl Alloy Fabrication

Development of the 2 nd generation ATF FeCrAl alloy has been initiated, and a candidate alloy was selected for trial tube fabrication through hot-extrusion and gun-drilling processes. Four alloys based on Fe-13Cr-4.5Al-0.15Y in weight percent were newly cast with minor alloying additions of Mo, Si, Nb, and C to promote solid-solution and second-phase precipitate strengthening. The alloy compositions were selected with guidance from computational thermodynamic tools. The lab-scale heats of ~ 600g were arc-melted and drop-cast, homogenized, hot-forged and -rolled, and then annealed producing plate shape samples. An alloy with Mo and Nb additions (C35MN) processed at 800°C exhibits very fine sub-grain structure with the sub-grain size of 1-3μm which exhibited more than 25% better yield and tensile strengths together with decent ductility compared to the other FeCrAl alloys at room temperature. It was found that the Nb addition was key to improving thermal stability of the fine sub-grain structure. Optimally, grains of less than 30 microns are desired, with grains up to and order of magnitude in desired produced through Nb addition. Scale-up effort of the C35MN alloy was made in collaboration with a commercial cast company who has a capability of vacuum induction melting. A 39lb columnar ingot with ~81mm diameter and ~305mm height (with hot-top) was commercially cast, homogenized, hot-extruded, and annealed providing 10mm-diameter bar-shape samples with the fine sub-grain structure. This commercial heat proved consistent with materials produced at ORNL at the lab-scale. Tubes and end caps were machined from the bar sample and provided to another work package for the ATF-1 irradiation campaign in the milestone M3FT-14OR0202251.

2nd generation ATF FeCrAl alloy↗
DOE OSTI2025

Inspecta Technical Report

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has developed Inspecta (International Nuclear Safeguards Personal Examination and Containment Tracking Assistant), an AI-powered smart digital assistant (SDA) equipped with robotic capabilities. This innovative tool aims to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of international nuclear safeguards inspections. Inspecta is designed to assist inspectors on-site by supporting or automating tasks that are often mundane, hazardous, or prone to errors. In 2021, the development team established the specifications for Inspecta by thoroughly analyzing International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) documents and consulting with former IAEA inspectors and subject matter experts. This process involved aligning in-field inspection tasks with existing commercial and open-source technologies, thereby creating a roadmap for the initial prototype of Inspecta and identifying areas requiring further research and development. From 2022 to 2025, the focus shifted to integrating a critical inspection activity—the examination of seals—into an early version of Inspecta. This phase has involved the development of both software and hardware capabilities essential for this task. This report outlines the advancements in Inspecta’s functionalities, particularly those that support the seal examination process.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2023

Final Scientific/Technical Report: Real Time Particle Size and Settling Velocity for In-Situ Monitoring of Deep-Sea Polymetallic Nodule Mining

In the coming decade, it is anticipated that deep-sea mining activities will commence throughout the deep ocean, at depths around 4000-6000m where vast deposits of baseball-sized rocks called polymetallic nodules lay on the seabed. These nodules contain resources such as cobalt, copper and nickel which are needed to produce batteries for electric vehicles. Collector machines driving on the seabed and gathering these nodules will stir up clouds of sediment, and there is concern about how the resulting concentration of sediment in the near-bottom ocean water will affect deep and mid-ocean biology. There is currently no technology capable of comprehensively monitoring the concentrations and properties of stirred up sediment in the deep. This project addressed this critical gap by developing a deep-sea particle measurement system (Real-Time Size and Settling Velocity, RTSSV) that uses a multi-camera high-resolution video imaging system, with accompanying image processing, to measure the concentration, size distribution and settling speed of sediment. Importantly, these measurements are made in-situ, so that delicate sediment aggregates will not be disturbed, as is the case when collecting samples at depth to be measured in the lab. The instrument can be mounted on a variety of established deep-sea platforms such as moorings, AUVs and ROVs, providing data in near real time, where the key measurements need to be made—from the source of the sediment disturbance and throughout the resulting plume—vital for determining if deep-sea mining can be done in an environmentally responsible manner. The developed system (RTSSV) will possess the only such capability worldwide, giving a US-based group a substantial competitive advantage as this newly evolving global industry develops. As added value, the technology will also have widespread application to the offshore oil and gas industry, dredging industry, and to sediment science research.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2018

Research, Development, and Testing of a Master Controller with Applications to the Bronzeville Community Microgrid System

The objective of this project was to research, develop and test a Microgrid Master Controller (MMC) with applications to the Bronzeville Community Microgrid (BCM), capable of monitoring and controlling a microgrid cluster, as well as to demonstrate its performance in an environment that will closely resemble actual operation of the microgrid. During the project, a hierarchical control strategy of the MMC consisting of primary, secondary, and tertiary layers of control was developed, to operate the MMC in conjunction with the IIT microgrid controller for the coordinated operation of the microgrid cluster, including the control of DERs and facilitation of power flow between the microgrids. A detailed laboratory test plan, including methodology, test setup, test scenarios, and techniques for data gathering and analysis, was developed to verify the MMC functionalities and to validate the performance of the control algorithms under various microgrid operating conditions and potential system contingencies. The MMC underwent a thorough lab testing with more than 320 test cases assigned to 14 performance categories. The final project review and technology feasibility demonstration was held with Department of Energy (DOE) team, in the ComEd’s Grid of the Future lab. During this review, technical performance of the MMC was demonstrated in all key scenarios where the proper performance of the MMC was witnessed under a wide array of scenarios, including planned islanding, unplanned islanding, re-synchronization, load restoration, and basic dispatch in grid-connected and islanded mode. The demonstration was based on use cases focused on main microgrid capabilities and features, which further and the microgrid performance. The following cases were shown to DOE: Planned Islanding; Re-synchronization; Load Restoration; Basic Dispatch (grid-connected mode); Basic Dispatch (islanded mode); Unplanned Islanding. The outcome of this project is a viable microgrid control technology that served as a basis for further enhancement and commercialization of the utility-grade microgrid controller that will be employed for control of the BCM.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Advanced Laboratory and Field Arrays (ALFA)/Lab Collaboration Project (LCP) for Marine Energy (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

The objective of the Advanced Laboratory and Field Arrays (ALFA) project was to reduce the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) energy by leveraging research, development, and testing capabilities at Oregon State University, University of Washington, and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. ALFA is a project within the Pacific Marine Energy Center (PMEC; formerly NNMREC), a multi-institution entity with a diverse funding base that focuses on research and development for marine renewables. The ALFA project aimed to accelerate the development of next-generation arrays of wave energy conversion (WEC) and tidal energy conversion (TEC) devices through a suite of field-focused R&D activities spanning a broad range of strategic opportunity areas identified in the Funding Opportunity Announcement: • Device and/or array operation and maintenance (O&M) logistics development; • High-fidelity resource characterization and/or modeling technique development and validation; • Array-specific component technology development (e.g. moorings and foundations, transmission, and other offshore grid components); • Array performance testing and evaluation; and • Novel cost-effective environmental monitoring techniques and instrumentation testing and evaluation. The objective of the Lab Collaboration Project (LCP) was to accelerate the development of next-generation marine energy conversion systems. The LCP aimed to achieve these project objectives in collaboration with the national laboratories by: • Developing concept generation and assessment tools; • Improving access to existing testing resources; • Validating collision risk models between fish and turbines; and • Advancing analysis and simulation capabilities for wave-WEC interactions and PTO analysis in nonlinear ocean waves. The ALFA portion of the project was comprised of six overarching technical tasks: • Task 1: Debris Modeling, Detection and Mitigation; • Task 2: Autonomous Monitoring & Intervention; • Task 3: Resource Characterization for Extreme Conditions; • Task 4: Robust Models for Design of Offshore Anchoring and Mooring Systems; • Task 5: Performance Enhancement for Marine Energy Converter (MEC) Arrays; and • Task 6: Evaluating Sampling Techniques for MHK Biological Monitoring. The LCP was divided into four overarching technical tasks: • Task 7: Project Management and Reporting • Task 8: Novel Design and Assessment Methodologies for Wave Energy Converter Design (Wave- SPARC) • Task 9: Testing Access for Commercial Marine Renewable Energy Technology Developers • Task 10: Quantifying Collision Risk for Fish and Turbines • Task 11: Nonlinear Ocean Waves and PTO Control Strategy Each ALFA/LCP task listed above functioned as a separate and discreet project. A final Technical Report was written for each individual task and these reports were uploaded to OSTI, after receiving DOE approval. The following document is a compilation of each of these final, approved reports arranged as individual chapters.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of the total compton scattering cross section between 6.5 and 11 GeV

The total cross section for Compton scattering off atomic electrons, $γ + e → γ' + e'$, was measured using photons with energies between 6.5 and 11.1 GeV incident on a 9 Be target as part of the PrimEx-eta experiment in Hall D at Jefferson Lab. This is the first measurement of this fundamental QED process within this energy range. The total uncertainties of the cross section, combining the statistical and systematic components in quadrature, averaged to 3.4 % across all energy bins. This not only demonstrates the capability of this experimental setup to perform precision cross-section measurements at forward angles but also allows us to compare with state-of-the-art QED calculations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Atomically Precise Membranes for the Separation of Hydrocarbons

Separations often account for a majority of process costs. This is because all traditional separation processes have inherent weaknesses that prevent the system from achieving perfect (or even near perfect in many instances) selectivity. These weaknesses result in large recycle streams and require multiple separation units in concert in order to produce a product clean enough for use or sale. An atomically precise membrane capable of allowing passage to only certain molecules would greatly improve process economics. We have synthesized atomically precise, triangular and rectangular-shaped, pore-containing macromolecules (channel molecules) using a unique, stiff, programmable molecular scaffold developed in Prof. Christian Schafmeister’s lab at Temple University. We synthesized porous triangular and rectangular macromolecules from our unique, poly-cyclic, shape-programmable, and functional group-programmable spiroligomer scaffolds. These macromolecules display functional groups pointing outward that will covalently cross-link with other functional groups on other copies of the molecule. The pores are of programmable size and shape to selectively allow some molecules and ions to pass through the pores while resisting others. These molecules were confirmed with H-NMR and HPLC/HRMS. Self-assembled layers of these molecules were fabricated with the use of a Langmuir trough where they were compressed to a mean area that is close to their corresponding macrocycle size (~0.5-1 nm 2 ). We have also demonstrated several strategies for supporting films of these selective membranes on polysulfone.

Amundsen, Ted↗