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At least 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

FWP FEW0223: "Advanced Manufactured Carbonate Materials for Algal Biomass Production: Joint LLNL SNL Program" (Final Report)

The ability to easily and cheaply transport carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from coal-fired power plants equipped with capture facilities to multiple, potentially distant utilization sites of widely varying scales will enable wider use of CO 2 captured from flue gas. In the case of algal biomass cultivation, delivery of CO 2 in the form of carbonate-based materials may provide a more efficient and economical method of inorganic carbon delivery than CO 2 sparging, reducing the cost of algae cultivation and increasing the value of carbon capture. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has developed advanced manufactured materials that are well-suited for carbon capture, storage, transport, and delivery. These materials consist of aqueous sodium carbonate, which captures CO 2 as sodium bicarbonate, extruded or 3D printed in a CO 2 permeable polymer to increase the surface area and improve capture kinetics. By encapsulating carbonate solutions, LLNL has demonstrated order-of-magnitude enhancements in carbon capture rates compared with liquid carbonates, enabling the use of these (otherwise kinetically-limited) inexpensive, environmentally-benign solvents for carbon capture.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2021

H 2 Production Pathways Cost Analysis (2016 - 2021) (Final Report)

This final report documents cost analysis conducted for the Department of Energy over a five year period (2016 to 2021) pertaining to hydrogen production and delivery system components, focusing on the key remaining challenges of the technology pathways within the Hydrogen Production and Delivery sub-program portfolio. A particular focus was placed on electrolysis for the generation of hydrogen. The effort primarily used the H2A discounted cash flow computational model as a tool to project hydrogen cost ($/kgH 2 ) and determine status improvements resulting from technology advancements. The effort also considered cost as a function of production volume, employed error bars to illustrate uncertainties in the cost estimates, and utilized sensitivity analyses to show the potential for cost reductions. The project examined a range of hydrogen production and delivery related systems. These included WireTough wire-wrapped pressure vessels for hydrogen storage, proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis, solid oxide electrolysis (SOE), anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysis, photoelectrochemical (PEC) electrolysis, solar thermochemical hydrogen (STCH) production, the cost of energy transmission, and a study on the necessary price of hydrogen to produce competitively-priced electricity via fuel cell conversion.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2024

Multi-phenomenology Yield Characterization

This report serves as the first delivery of a four-year applied science effort to transform and advance the error bounds for the yield estimate of an explosion. Each year’s delivery will be in this form, culminating in the submission of this work for peer review to a scientific journal. Importantly, the yearly progress reports can then also be viewed as expanding drafts working towards a formal journal article submission. For the first tranche of funding, we collaborated with Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) scientists to identify unclassified real-world data that demonstrate and validate our advanced error propagation methods. Collaboration includes visits to AFTAC and telecons. For this development, we illustrate the fusion of seismic, acoustic, optical, and surface effect signatures from an explosion. The mathematics and code being adapted to this specific application (Williams et al., 2021) involves physics models of multiple sensor signatures. We have also identified related physics models and have integrated them into code. Current methods of underground explosion yield estimation for the Threshold Test Ban Treaty (TTBT) have served the US treaty monitoring mission well for decades. A research objective of the Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D) office of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has always been to provide new technical capabilities for monitoring lower thresholds. The general model and error propagation code to be developed in this project is based on significant advances in error modeling and propagation needed to analyze data at lower detection thresholds. The second tranche of funding for this project began on May 1, 2022, and planned work for the second tranche includes: i) completing the integration of physical model code into the general error model framework; this code accommodates a wide range of linear/nonlinear source models, fixed/ random effects, and frequentist/Bayesian analyses (the purpose of which is not to dictate to users how to analyze data, but instead to allow users the maximum flexibility in their work); ii) illustrative application of code to identified data, and; iii) initial planning with AFTAC researchers on delivery of code to the Common Development Environment at AFTAC, and continued writing of the planned final journal article submission (year two of this progress report), with particular emphasis on descriptions of data identified for this effort.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2022

NPP Simulators for Coupled Thermal and Electric Power Dispatch

The Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) program within the United States Department of Energy supports extending the operation of the U.S. commercial nuclear power plant (NPP) fleet. Within the LWRS program, the Flexible Plant Operation and Generation (FPOG) Pathway works to diversify the revenue streams of light water reactors (LWRs) by opening opportunities for the co-generation of non-electric products in addition to supplying electrical power to the grid. Recent events have added greater motivation to these efforts. For example, the recent Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed by the U.S. federal government offers substantial tax incentives for producing clean hydrogen, the technology readiness level of dispatchable and high-efficiency hydrogen production has dramatically increased in a short time, and societal response to world climate change is driving a transition away from fossil fuels. Producing hydrogen with maximum efficiency using nuclear power requires dispatching both electrical and thermal power from the nuclear plant to the hydrogen plant, so testing concepts of operations for combined electrical and thermal power dispatch (TPD) from an NNP to a hydrogen plant is of interest. This report documents achievement of the Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) program milestone “Install and demonstrate a vendor-developed simulator on the Human Systems Simulation Laboratory (HSS) for dispatch of LWR electrical power to a close-coupled electrolysis plant” with a due date of Dec. 22, 2022. Several factors provide motivation for this effort. Coupling the power generation deck of a nuclear power plant to a hydrogen production facility introduces new possibilities for operational transients that must be addressed. In particular, the performance of the integrated system during startup and shutdown of the hydrogen production facility, as well as offnormal conditions, need to be evaluated to ensure there are no adverse effects on the operation of the existing NPP. The concept of operations involving the NPP, the hydrogen plant, and the electric power grid must be tested using NPP simulators and operating procedures that have been modified for TPD operations. These tests must also include dynamic simulations of the coupled tertiary thermal and electric loads as well as coordinated activities with NPP operators, tertiary load operators and grid power coordinators. The report summarizes progress in developing and testing full-scope NPP simulators at the HSSL, including a generic BWR simulator from GSE Systems, Inc. and generic PWR simulator from Westinghouse. In the case of the TPD-GBWR Simulator from GSE Systems, Inc., a BWR is thermally coupled to a high temperature electrolysis (HTE) plant that produces hydrogen and oxygen from de-ionized water. The hydrogen plant is not explicitly simulated but only included as a transient heat sink. A thermal power dispatch (TPD) system transfers heat between the steam systems at the BWR and the hydrogen plant. Operational results from two versions of the modified simulator are presented. The first version uses synthetic oil as a heat transfer fluid in a closed delivery heat loop (DHL) that generates steam at the hydrogen plant. The second version uses steam as the heat transfer fluid in a delivery steam line (DSL) to provide steam to the hydrogen plant. For both versions, the estimated thermal power delivery distance is approximately one kilometer. The amount of thermal power dispatched in the simulators is 15% of the total reactor thermal power such that the simulators provide a tool to study the feasibility of coupling a BWR to industrial processes that benefit from a combination electrical and thermal power dispatch. Ongoing work within a CRADA is also developing a full-scope PWR simulator provided by Westinghouse for both thermal and electric power coupling. This simulator is based on a PWR plant with two three-loop Westinghouse reactors. Westinghouse PWRs are sufficiently similar that a simulator of a three-loop reactor is an appropriate representation for two-loop and four-loop PWR reactors. The three-loop simulator will initially be modified for close-coupling to a 100 MW HTE hydrogen production plant that will require approximately 25 MW of thermal power while operating at its maximum rated capacity. The simulator testing will include full coupling to dynamic simulations of a hydrogen production plant and a representative bulk electric grid. The simulator provided by Westinghouse is similar to the GPWR simulator that INL has already obtained from GSE Systems but has a few important added benefits. First, the Westinghouse simulator is based on digital controls and has additional screens that can be called up to show parameter trends to assist operators in decision-making. The Westinghouse simulator also has upgrades to the controls and hardware representations, such as valve actuators, that make it more realistic and flexible in terms of accurately sim

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Nested Pebble Bed Blanket (NesPeB)

Recent advances in magnetic confinement fusion technology have attracted billions of dollars of investments in startups from venture capitals and corporations, resulting in the development of devices aiming to demonstrate net energy gain in a self-heated burning plasma, such as SPARC (under construction) and others. However, future fusion power plants must operate in regimes that will require technologies far beyond current experience. According to a National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine report, to have nuclear fusion power plants contributing in a timely manner to the planned reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a pilot plant should be built by 2035, and it should demonstrate fusion power production and the performance of the tritium fuel system (requiring a high enough tritium breeding) by 2040. A recognized key technology gap by [26] is the fusion first wall and blanket since no current blanket concept is considered satisfactory or has been built and proven. The first wall and blanket in magnetic fusion reactors form a vital and complex system, as it must satisfy different functions such as power extraction, tritium breeding, plasma containment, radiation shielding, and safety. The list of design requirements is even longer: high enough tritium production for fusion self-sufficiency, low material activation, decay heat and shutdown dose rates, high thermal efficiency, high-capacity factor, high magnets-divertor-vacuum vessel-first wall life, low corrosion, low cost, and intrinsically safe (requiring minimal licensing). Despite fifty-plus years of research, the first wall and blanket concepts proposed suffer from fundamental technical problems and immaturity (TRL=2-3) that jeopardize the timely delivery of a commercial fusion power plant. A fusion first-wall blanket has never been built nor tested, and a "winning", practical functioning design requires enough engineering margins (high enough tritium breeding considering the uncertainty, etc.), manufacturing simplicity, ease of continuous operation, maintenance, and low cost. A new, groundbreaking blanket concept called "Nested Pebble Bed Blanket" (NesPeB) was developed at ORNL under the successful ARPA-E GAMOW FERMI project (patent application allowed by the USPTO). The NesPeB blanket concept addresses current blanket concepts' shortcomings and technical immaturity, paving the way for accelerated delivery of fusion power plants. NesPeB is based on nested pebbles, which are binary-sized lithium-ceramic pebbles enclosed in "Beryllide" perforated and coated spherical shells, which are also binary-sized, stacked on top of each other, forming a "bed" and cooled by Nitrogen gas also "sweeping" the Helium and Tritium generated by the neutron irradiation of Lithium; the vacuum vessel plasma facing material is Molybdenum-96 and -97 with the first wall cooled by Helium while the divertor armor is made of Tungsten. The simulations of the NesPeB blanket using Fusion Reactors Models Integrator (FERMI) are encouraging as they estimate a tritium breeding ratio (TBR) greater than 1.2 using natural Lithium, acceptable pressure drop, and excellent heat transfer properties. Furthermore, the NesPeB blanket is not limited by magneto-hydro-dynamics (MHD) effects, is designed for online refueling, relies on existing tritium extraction technologies, has a simple construction, and limits the corrosion and chemical reactivity problems. NesPeB has the potential to be transformational and disruptive since it can solve all the main, challenging technical problems of fusion device blankets and accelerate a pilot plant delivery for 10 or more years.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

LAMP Emittance Budget, Rev. 1

This report summarizes the performance limits of the LANSCE Coupled-Cavity Linac (CCL). These results are captured or summarized directly from the references cited. This report was written in support of the LANSCE Modernization Project (LAMP). This brief report summarizes the emittance budget for the LANSCE Modernization Project (LAMP). While the project Key Performance Parameters (KPPs) specify threshold and objective requirements for charge delivered to each experimental area, no upper limits on beam emittances are specified. To maintain low losses in the high-energy section of the LANSCE linac and hands-on maintenance, some upper limits on beam emittance need to be specified for the new LAMP front-end performance. The scope of the LAMP project replaces the injector section and drift-tube linac (DTL) up to 100 MeV of the existing LANSCE linac. This new design replacement will be integrated with the remaining coupled cavity linac (CCL) which makes up most of the accelerator at LANSCE and accelerates the beam to a final energy of 800 MeV. The initial approach that has been used to define an emittance budget for the new LAMP front end is based on recent and historical measured beam emittances at 100 MeV for the three beam types accelerated at LANSCE: H+ (protons for isotope production), LBEG (H- beam for delivery to proton radiography and to the Lujan neutron spallation target, and MPEG (H- beam for delivery to the Weapons Neutron Research facility). The emittance budget (upper limit) for each beam type has been selected to maintain the losses in the CCL to a level approximately equivalent to those observed in present operations to first order. However, the goal of the LAMP project is to improve the quality of the beams injected into the CCL, if possible, thus allowing for higher average current operation while also lowering beam losses and activation at high beam energies. The table below summarizes the beam measurements evaluated and used to establish a conservative emittance budget for LAMP based on known historical beam losses and activation. However, based on estimates of the CCL admittance and the Isotope Production Facility (IPF) beamline acceptance, a more relaxed transverse emittance upper limit of 0.095 π-cm-mrad, rms, normalized may be acceptable at 100 MeV while still meeting the LAMP performance requirements for charge delivery to each LANSCE experimental area and maintaining hands-on maintenance. This upper limit is supported by a recent analysis of operational data. Additionally, the present conceptual LAMP front-end design meets this requirement.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

The mitochondrial Cu + transporter PiC2 (SLC25A3) is a target of MTF1 and contributes to the development of skeletal muscle in vitro

The loading of copper (Cu) into cytochrome c oxidase (COX) in mitochondria is essential for energy production in cells. Extensive studies have been performed to characterize mitochondrial cuproenzymes that contribute to the metallation of COX, such as Sco1, Sco2, and Cox17. However, limited information is available on the upstream mechanism of Cu transport and delivery to mitochondria, especially through Cu-impermeable membranes, in mammalian cells. The mitochondrial phosphate transporter SLC25A3, also known as PiC2, binds Cu + and transports the ion through these membranes in eukaryotic cells, ultimately aiding in the metallation of COX. We used the well-established differentiation model of primary myoblasts derived from mouse satellite cells, wherein Cu availability is necessary for growth and maturation, and showed that PiC2 is a target of MTF1, and its expression is both induced during myogenesis and favored by Cu supplementation. PiC2 deletion using CRISPR/Cas9 showed that the transporter is required for proliferation and differentiation of primary myoblasts, as both processes are delayed upon PiC2 knock-out. The effects of PiC2 deletion were rescued by the addition of Cu to the growth medium, implying the deleterious effects of PiC2 knockout in myoblasts may be in part due to a failure to deliver sufficient Cu to the mitochondria, which can be compensated by other mitochondrial cuproproteins. Co-localization and co-immunoprecipitation of PiC2 and COX also suggest that PiC2 may participate upstream in the copper delivery chain into COX, as verified by in vitro Cu + -transfer experiments. These data indicate an important role for PiC2 in both the delivery of Cu to the mitochondria and COX, favoring the differentiation of primary myoblasts.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Linking Hydrobiogeochemical Processes and Management Techniques to Close Nutrient Loops in an Arid River

In this study, we explore opportunities to optimize food-energy-water (FEW) resources by closing nutrient loops in arid-land rivers. Specifically, we evaluate source and sink behavior of nitrogen as nitrate (NO 3 -N) in three characteristic channels in the Middle Rio Grande Basin (Delivery and Drain channels associated with agriculture and the main channel of the Rio Grande). All three channels are located downstream of a large wastewater treatment plant that is the main contributor of nutrients to this reach of the Rio Grande. We used a mass balance approach paired with stable isotope analysis to determine sources and processing of NO 3 -N within the channels over time (a year) and through space (along ~15 to 50 km reaches). Results indicated the growing season was an important period of sink behavior for the Delivery channel and the Rio Grande, but the Drain channel was a year-round source. Stable isotope analysis of 15 N and 18 O found a distinct nitrate signature in the Drain associated with biological processing, as well as Rio Grande sites impacted by agricultural outflow, but no equivalent signature was present in the Delivery channel. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations to help close nutrient loops in the study system and analogous aridland irrigation networks by 1) minimizing loss during the transfer of nutrients from wastewater facilities to agricultural areas, and 2) minimizing enrichment to downstream aquatic ecosystems by sequestering nutrients that escape the nutrient loop.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Transformative Technology for FLASH Radiation Therapy

The general concept of radiation therapy used in conventional cancer treatment is to increase the therapeutic index by creating a physical dose differential between tumors and normal tissues through precision dose targeting, image guidance, and radiation beams that deliver a radiation dose with high conformality, e.g., protons and ions. However, the treatment and cure are still limited by normal tissue radiation toxicity, with the corresponding side effects. A fundamentally different paradigm for increasing the therapeutic index of radiation therapy has emerged recently, supported by preclinical research, and based on the FLASH radiation effect. FLASH radiation therapy (FLASH-RT) is an ultra-high-dose-rate delivery of a therapeutic radiation dose within a fraction of a second. Experimental studies have shown that normal tissues seem to be universally spared at these high dose rates, whereas tumors are not. While dose delivery conditions to achieve a FLASH effect are not yet fully characterized, it is currently estimated that doses delivered in less than 200 ms produce normal-tissue-sparing effects, yet effectively kill tumor cells. Despite a great opportunity, there are many technical challenges for the accelerator community to create the required dose rates with novel compact accelerators to ensure the safe delivery of FLASH radiation beams.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Volumetrics of Hydrogen Storage by Physical Adsorption

Physical adsorption remains a promising method for achieving fast, reversible hydrogen storage at both ambient and cryogenic conditions. Research in this area has recently shifted to focus primarily on the volumetric (H 2 stored/delivered per volume) gains achieved within an adsorptive storage system over that of pure H 2 compression; however, the methodology for estimating a volumetric stored or delivered amount requires several assumptions related to the ultimate packing of the adsorbent material into an actual storage system volume. In this work, we critically review the different assumptions commonly employed, and thereby categorize and compare the volumetric storage and delivery across numerous different porous materials including benchmark metal-organic frameworks, porous carbons, and zeolites. In several cases, there is a significant gain in both storage and delivery by the addition of an adsorbent to the high-pressure H 2 storage system over that of pure compression, even at room temperature. Lightweight, low-density materials remain the optimal adsorbents at low temperature, while higher density, open metal-containing frameworks are necessary for high-density room temperature storage and delivery.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Novel Experimental Approach to Understand the Transport of Nanodrugs

Nanoparticle-based drugs offer attractive advantages like targeted delivery to the diseased site and size and shape-controlled properties. Therefore, understanding the particulate flow of the nanodrugs is important for effective delivery, accurate prediction of required dosage, and developing efficient drug delivery platforms for nanodrugs. In this study, the transport of nanodrugs including flow velocity and deposition is investigated using three model metal oxide nanodrugs of different sizes including iron oxide, zinc oxide, and combined Cu-Zn-Fe oxide synthesized via a modified polyol approach. The hydrodynamic size, size, morphology, chemical composition, crystal phase, and surface functional groups of the water-soluble nanodrugs were characterized via dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray, X-ray diffraction, and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. Two different biomimetic flow channels with customized surfaces are developed via 3D printing to experimentally monitor the velocity and deposition of the different nanodrugs. A diffusion dominated mechanism of flow is seen in size ranges 92 nm to 110 nm of the nanodrugs, from the experimental velocity and mass loss profiles. The flow velocity analysis also shows that the transport of nanodrugs is controlled by sedimentation processes in the larger size ranges of 110–302 nm. However, the combined overview from experimental mass loss and velocity trends indicates presence of both diffusive and sedimentation forces in the 110–302 nm size ranges. It is also discovered that the nanodrugs with higher positive surface charges are transported faster through the two test channels, which also leads to lower deposition of these nanodrugs on the walls of the flow channels. The results from this study will be valuable in realizing reliable and cost-effective in vitro experimental approaches that can support in vivo methods to predict the flow of new nanodrugs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Enhanced Corneal Penetration of a Poorly Permeable Drug Using Bioadhesive Multiple Microemulsion Technology

Corneal penetration is a key rate limiting step in the bioavailability of topical ophthalmic formulations that incorporate poorly permeable drugs. Recent advances have greatly aided the ocular delivery of such drugs using colloidal drug delivery systems. Ribavirin, a poorly permeable BCS class-III drug, was incorporated in bioadhesive multiple W/O/W microemulsion (ME) to improve its corneal permeability. The drug-loaded ME was evaluated regarding its physical stability, droplet size, PDI, zeta potential, ultrastructure, viscosity, bioadhesion, in vitro release, transcorneal permeability, cytotoxicity, safety and ocular tolerance. Our ME possessed excellent physical stability, as it successfully passed several cycles of centrifugation and freeze–thaw tests. The formulation has a transparent appearance due to its tiny droplet size (10 nm). TEM confirmed ME droplet size and revealed its multilayered structure. In spite of the high aqueous solubility and the low permeability of ribavirin, this unique formulation was capable of sustaining its release for up to 24 h and improving its corneal permeability by 3-fold. The in vitro safety of our ME was proved by its high percentage cell viability, while its in vivo safety was confirmed by the absence of any sign of toxicity or irritation after either a single dose or 14 days of daily dosing. Our ME could serve as a vehicle for enhanced ocular delivery of drugs with different physicochemical properties, including those with low permeability.

Ibrahim, Mohamed Moustafa↗
DOE OSTI2023

Deliver Signal Phase and Timing (SPAT) for Energy Optimization of Vehicle Cohort Via Cloud-Computing and LTE Communications

Predictive Signal Phase and Timing (SPAT) message set is one fundamental building block for vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) applications such as Eco-Approach and Departure (EAD) at traffic signal controlled urban intersections. Among the two complementary communication methods namely short-range sidelink (PC5) and long-range cellular radio link (Uu), this paper documents the work with long-range link: the complete data chain includes connecting to the traffic signals via existing backhaul communication network, collecting the raw signal phase state data, predicting the signal state changes and delivering the SPAT data via a geofenced service to requests over HTTP protocols. An Application Programming Interface (API) library is developed to support various cellular data transmission reduction and latency improvement techniques. An emulation-based algorithm is applied to predict the traffic signal state changes to provide adequate prediction horizon (e.g., at minimum 2 minutes) for the cohort energy optimization. In fact, the same connectivity and SPAT delivery methodology has been applied to traffic signalized intersections nationwide in the United States upon public agency approvals for access to their firewalled traffic control network and signal control systems or directly to individual controllers. This methodology proves its effectiveness and potential for rapid growth of such SPAT deliveries at mass production scale without needing infrastructure hardware retrofit or excessive communication means. To support the energy optimization of light and heavy-duty vehicle cohorts of mixed automation and propulsion systems (EV, ICE and hybrid), the connection and SPAT deliveries at two sites were completed, including public roads in Washtenaw County, Michigan and closed track test sites at American Center for Mobility (ACM) in Ypsilanti, Michigan. However, only closed test track results at ACM will be presented in this paper. A neuroevolution based optimizer is developed and implemented to control the speed of a vehicle cohort with different propulsion systems and automation levels. Closed track tests showed significant energy savings of the cohort operation.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Market Segmentation Analysis of Medium and Heavy Duty Trucks with a Fuel Cell Emphasis

The medium- and heavy-duty transportation sector is experiencing rapid changes in powertrain technology innovation with recent announcements of battery electric and fuel cell electric trucks being offered. However, the economics of these alternative powertrain vehicles are uncertain and difficult to compare directly. This analysis seeks to bridge the gap of techno-economic analyses for these alternative powertrain vehicles by comparing all of them within the same analytic framework. Specifically, this report evaluates the total cost of ownership (TCO) of six different truck powertrain technologies (diesel, diesel hybrid-electric, plug-in hybrid electric, compressed natural gas, battery electric, and fuel cell electric) for three different truck vocations (Class 8 long haul [750 mile range], Class 8 short haul [300 mile range], and Class 4 parcel delivery), for different Department of Energy technology statuses (2018, 2025, and Ultimate). The TCO framework includes direct costs (purchase price, fuel, operating and maintenance), indirect costs (dwell time costs due to refueling/recharging and payload opportunity costs from forgone revenue due to the truck being weight-limited), but excludes general operation costs (driver wages and benefits, insurance, tire replacements, permits, tolls) that are assumed to be the same across powertrains. The TCO was evaluated for four scenarios that reflect typical business operating conditions. The TCO analysis results highlight that each powertrain technology may have an economic advantage on a TCO basis in certain business operating conditions and depending on fuel price realized. For Class 8 long haul trucks when payload opportunity costs are not incurred, battery electric and fuel cell electric powertrains could be cost competitive with diesel if the 2025 targets are achieved and fuel prices are low. If payload opportunity costs are incurred, battery electric powertrains are not estimated to reach TCO parity with diesel even if Ultimate targets and low electricity prices are realized, indicating a need for significant vehicle lightweighting. In Class 8 short haul commercial applications when payload opportunity costs are not incurred, battery electric, fuel cell electric, and compressed natural gas vehicle powertrains have very competitive TCOs with diesel if the 2025 targets are achieved. In Class 8 short haul commercial applications when payload opportunity costs are incurred, the battery electric vehicle powertrains can achieve TCO parity with diesel only if the Ultimate battery prices are met ($80/kWh). In Class 4 parcel delivery truck operating scenarios where there are no dwell time costs incurred, the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, battery electric vehicle, and fuel cell electric vehicle could be cost-competitive with diesel and compressed natural gas with current (2018) technology performance and costs. In general, the payload opportunity costs can be a significant driver to TCO for the Class 8 long and short haul commercial vehicle applications while the dwell time costs could be a major TCO cost driver for the Class 4 parcel delivery vehicle if the business scenario realizes those costs.

advanced powertrains↗
DOE OSTI2022

Transformative Technology for FLASH Radiation Therapy: A Snowmass 2021 White Paper

Conventional cancer therapies include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and, more recently, immunotherapy. These modalities are often combined to improve the therapeutic index. The general concept of radiation therapy is to increase the therapeutic index by creating a physical dose differential between tumors and normal tissues through precision dose targeting, image guidance, and high radiation beams that deliver radiation dose with high conformality, e.g., protons and ions. However, treatment and cure are still limited by normal tissue radiation toxicity, with many patients experiencing acute and long-term side effects. Recently, however, a fundamentally different paradigm for increasing the therapeutic index of radiation therapy has emerged, supported by preclinical research, and based on the FLASH radiation effect. FLASH radiation therapy (FLASH-RT) is an ultra-high dose-rate delivery of a therapeutic radiation dose within a fraction of a second. Experimental studies have shown that normal tissues seem to be universally spared at these high dose rates, whereas tumors are not. The dose delivery conditions are not yet fully characterized. Still, it is currently estimated that large doses of 10 Gy or more delivered in 200 ms or less produce normal tissue sparing effects yet effectively kill tumor cells. There is a great opportunity, but also many technical challenges, for the accelerator community to create the required dose rates with novel and compact accelerators to ensure the safe delivery of FLASH radiation beams.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

GUI Control System for the Mu2e Electrostatic Septum High Voltage at Fermilab

The Mu2e Experiment has stringent beam structure requirements; namely, its proton bunches with a time structure of 1.7 $\mu$s in the Fermilab Delivery Ring. This beam structure will be delivered using the Fermilab 8-GeV Booster, the 8-GeV Recycler Ring, and the Delivery Ring. The 1.7-$\mu$s period of the Delivery Ring will generate the required beam structure by means of a third order resonant extraction system operating on a single circulating bunch. The electrostatic septum (ESS) for this system is particularly challenging, requiring mechanical precision in a ultra high vacuum of 1 x 10$^-8$ Torr to generate 100 kV across 15 mm. This paper describes a graphical user interface that has been developed to automate the conditioning and commissioning process for the electrostatic septa. It is based on an interface to the Fermilab ACNET system using the ACSys Python Data Pool Manager (DPM) Client produced and maintained by Fermilab Accelerator Controls. Network interfacing between data pool managers made by the application and ACNET devices introduce an inherent (approximately 1 s) latency in throughput of the readouts. This delay is utilized to process and graph incoming data events of devices crucial to conditioning of a electrostatic septum (ESS). 'Ramping' and 'Monitoring' modes adjust settings of the power supply based on internal logic to efficaciously increase and maintain the high voltage (HV) in the ESS, easing the voltage setting on incidence of sparking or other possibly damaging events. A timestamped log file is produced as the application runs.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Method and apparatus for in situ synthesis of SiC, SiC ceramic matrix composites, and SiC metal matrix composites during additive manufacturing

Methods and apparatuses for in situ synthesis of SiC, CMCs, and MMCs are disclosed, comprising: providing an apparatus having: an electromagnetic energy source; an autofocusing scanner; a powder system for SiC and one or more powders; a powder delivery system; a shielding gas comprising argon and/or nitrogen; and a computer coupled to and configured to control the energy source, scanner, powder system, and powder delivery system to deposit layers of the sample; programming the computer with specifications of the sample; using the computer to control electromagnetic radiation, mixing ratio, and powder deposition parameters based on the specifications of the sample; and using the autofocusing scanner to focus and scan the electromagnetic radiation onto the sample while the powders are concurrently deposited by the powder delivery system onto the sample to create a melting pool to deposit one or more layers onto the sample. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Liu, Jian↗
DOE OSTI2020

Systematic Analysis of Drivers and Barriers of Cross-Sectorial Learning Between Nuclear and Oil and Gas Decommissioning Projects - 20139

Project and megaproject management in the energy sector have historically focused on the planning and delivery of the construction of infrastructure. Therefore, policies are predominantly oriented to support the construction of infrastructure rather than its decommissioning. However, globally, several facilities have reached (or will soon reach) their end-of-life and need to be decommissioned. These facilities span across the energy sector, including nuclear power plants and oil and gas rigs, whose decommissioning present unprecedented techno-socio-economic challenges. Moreover, globally, their decommissioning cost is estimated to reach hundreds of billions of US dollars and this budget keeps increasing, with limited knowledge-transfer across industries to mitigate the spiraling increase of this figure. Cross-sectorial knowledge-transfer is a way to tackle this matter and improve the planning and delivery of decommissioning and waste management projects. The aim of this research is to build a road-map based on cross-sectorial industrial experience, designed to promote the sharing of good practices between projects both within and across industries dealing with major decommissioning and waste management challenges. To reach this aim, the tacit knowledge of senior practitioners on several large scale nuclear and oil and gas decommissioning projects is made explicit by the means of semi-structured interviews, systematically analyzed through directed content analysis. The results of this analysis include a list of good practices that could and should be transferred to nuclear decommissioning projects, including the need to promote the adoption of incentives explicitly linked to the project deliverables, and to develop long-term plans to support smooth transition from operations to decommissioning. Suggestions about how the knowledge-transfer can be promoted within and across organizations are also discussed. In this way, this research provides practical guidance for project managers and policymakers on how to support the planning and delivery of projects with improved performance. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗