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DOE OSTI2026

WM26 Paper Multi-Robot Collaboration for Hazardous Environments

Hazardous nuclear and industrial facilities are rarely designed for robots. Work in these domains demand precise manipulation and robust mobility in cluttered, constrained spaces where off-the-shelf platforms struggle and “one-size-fits-all” machines become costly and complex. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is developing an autonomous, multi-robot inspection system that coordinates task-specific platforms rather than relying on a single omni-tool robot. An electric truck serves as a power and compute hub for a custom manipulator co-developed with Florida International University (FIU), a commercial mini crawler, a pan–tilt–zoom camera, and a Nexxis Argus LiDAR mapping system. Working in concert, these robots generate spatial, radiation, and temperature maps of the pit environments at the Hanford Waste Tank Farms. These systems will capture visual records and environmental telemetry to allow for analysis post inspection. The system architecture uses Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) for publish/subscribe integration, NVIDIA Isaac Sim and Unity for simulation and visualization, and algorithms such as NVBlox to fuse data into unified 3D overlays. This robot-agnostic approach reduces operator burden by enabling autonomy across heterogeneous platforms and lets each robot be used where it is strongest. Having autonomous functions means operators don’t have to fully control multiple different components. The ease of use could allow for more widespread adoption of advanced robotics at waste management sites that see continued use. By coordinating simpler, purpose-built mechanisms, the approach lowers design and manufacturing complexity, reduces capital risk in contaminated settings, and improves controllability for complex inspection and manipulation tasks. We present the architecture, early results, and lessons learned from building and deploying this coordinated multi-robot system, with the goal of accelerating safe, cost-effective adoption of advanced robotics at waste-management sites.

42 - ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRS2023

Launch Complex 39B, SWMU 009 Air Sparging System Expansion Implementation Work Plan Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This Implementation Work Plan (IWP) for expansion of the Air Sparging (AS) system at Launch Complex 39B (LC39B), presents the design and coordination specifics to expand the existing AS Interim Measure (IM) at LC39B located at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. The existing AS system at LC39B was installed in 2017 and included 279 AS wells. LC39B has been designated as Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 009 under the KSC Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Program. Expansion of the AS IM will include installation of an additional five AS wells to depths of approximately 13 and 17 feet below land surface (bls) to remediate contaminated groundwater identified northwest of the launch pad, near the liquid oxygen (LOX) tank. The expansion will target concentrations of cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE) and vinyl chloride (VC) greater than Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Natural Attenuation Default Concentrations (NADCs) that were identified during direct push technology (DPT) sampling events between 2019-2022 in shallow intervals between 8 and 16 feet bls. The objective for this expansion is to remediate contaminated groundwater within the treatment zone to below NADCs to support transition to monitored natural attenuation (MNA) through a long-term monitoring (LTM) program. This expansion will treat approximately 0.07-acres of residual groundwater contamination. The IWP design for this expansion will utilize the existing AS system trailer that is already onsite and operating. The five new AS expansion wells will be integrated into the existing Zone Z4 distribution manifold to deliver compressed air to the new AS wells. To deliver airflow, three existing lateral lines will be split in the field at a lateral split junction point (using 2-way or 3-way splits). Each split lateral will supply air to AS wells at the same depth interval to minimize preferential pathways. The trenching layout for the new AS wells was developed to minimize ground disturbance due to the amount of utilities in the area. One new monitoring well will also be installed and added to LC39B’s performance monitoring program to evaluate the effectiveness of the AS system expansion. This well will be sampled on a semi-annual basis for volatile organic compounds, with results evaluated to determine if system adjustments may be required. The main components of this IWP were presented to the KSC Remediation Team (KSCRT) at the October 2022 Meeting (Meeting 2210-M05). DPT delineation data from the LOX area were also presented, which included some inferred boundaries due to physical restrictions of the LOX tank and associated concrete pad and infrastructure. Planned monitoring well sampling in this area will help determine if back-diffusion may be occurring from beneath the pad. Additionally, based on potential petroleum odors and staining identified at two DPT locations during the January 2022 DPT event in the 10-16 feet bls range, a KSCRT action item was assigned during the October 2022 meeting to collect soil samples for petroleum compounds if similar odors or staining are identified during IM implementation. Construction completion and performance monitoring will be incorporated into LC39B’s groundwater monitoring reports, which are currently submitted on an annual basis to FDEP to document operation and maintenance activities and results from the AS IM.

Deborah M. Wilson↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Reduction of Equivalent System Mass of a Trash Compaction Processing System with an Emphasis on Improved Thermal Efficiency

A device known as the Trash Compaction Processing System or TCPS has been under development at NASA as part of the Advanced Life Support and Logistics Reduction Program Waste Management element. The TCPS processes trash that includes a variety of components such as plastic pouches that contain wet food and drinks, used cloth towels and t-shirts, adhesive tapes, deodorant, and many other items. The TCPS uses heat and pressure to compact the waste composite into a sturdy and well-defined shape designed to fit in a storage area on a spacecraft. The TCPS removes water from the trash and renders it safe against microbial activity. The focus of this paper is on methods for reducing the Equivalent System Mass of a TCPS with an emphasis on increasing the thermal efficiency of the system.

Trash Compaction Processing System↗

DOE OSTI2020

Panel Session 116: Waste Management from Remediation of Legacy Sites or Unplanned Releases

Past experiences have shown that there is often a disconnect between Indigenous societies and Western society. This disconnect can be attributed to different value systems between these two group and is not limited to the USA and Canada but also extends into Australia, New Zealand, and the Central Asia Republics (the 'five Stans'). The intent of this Panel Session to give voice to representatives from Indigenous communities, the challenges presented in remediation processes, and potential solutions. Standard risk assessment assumptions developed for Western societies often do not adequately address the cultural and spiritual values that may be unique to indigenous societies. This panel focused on the perspectives of Indigenous societies (e.g., Indian Tribes (US), First Nations (Canada)) related to risk assessment of environmental remediation challenges, including deep geological disposal of HLW and ILW, near-surface disposal of LLW and in-situ entombment of nuclear reactor components, and environmental remediation of abandoned uranium mines and historic wastes. Standard risk assessment assumptions often do not adequately address the cultural and spiritual values that may be unique to indigenous societies. Factoring those into a risk assessment that still meets regulatory requirements and policies such as reasonably anticipated land use at US EPA CERCLA sites can be challenging but has the potential to lead to a site or facility approach that is more accepted. Panelists with presentations: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Process - A Path for Indigenous Knowledge? (Francis Cameron); Local Community Perceptions and Remediation Projects (Michelle Roberts); Indigenous Perspectives on Risk Assessment (Bob Watts); Navajo Superfund Program: Fundamental Law and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (Dariel Yazzie); Risk Assessment: Two Indigenous Approaches (Whitney Fraser)

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DOE OSTI2021

Reduced-order modeling of near-field THMC coupled processes for nuclear waste repositories in shale

Performance assessment (PA) of geologic radioactive waste repositories requires three-dimensional simulation of highly nonlinear, thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC), multiphase flow and transport processes across many kilometers and over tens to hundreds of thousands of years. Integrating the effects of a near-field geomechanical process (i.e. buffer swelling) into coupled THC simulations through reduced-order modeling, rather than through fully coupled geomechanics, can reduce the dimensionality of the problem and improve computational efficiency. In this study, PFLOTRAN simulations model a single waste package in a shale host rock repository, where re-saturation of a bentonite buffer causes the buffer to swell and exert stress on a highly fractured disturbed rock zone (DRZ). Three types of stress-dependent permeability functions (exponential, modified cubic, and Two-part Hooke’s law models) are implemented to describe mechanical characteristics of the system. Overall, our modeling study suggests that compressing fractures reduces DRZ permeability, which could influence the rate of radionuclide transport and exchange with corrosive species in host rock groundwater that could accelerate waste package degradation. Less permeable shale host rock delays buffer swelling, consequently retarding DRZ permeability reduction as well as chemical transport within the barrier system.

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DOE OSTI2025

Large CO 2 removal potential of woody debris preservation in managed forests

Limiting climate warming to 1.5 °C requires reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and CO 2 removal. While various CO 2 removal strategies have been explored to achieve global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and account for legacy emissions, additional exploration is warranted to examine more durable, scalable and sustainable approaches to achieve climate targets. Here, in this study, we show that preserving woody debris in managed forests can remove gigatonnes of CO 2 from the atmosphere sustainably based on a carbon cycle analysis using three Earth system models. Woody debris is produced from logging, sawmill wastes and abandoned woody products, and can be preserved in deep soil to lengthen its residence time (a measure of durability) by thousands of years. Preserving annual woody debris production in managed forests has the capacity to remove 769–937 GtCO 2 from the atmosphere cumulatively (10.1–12.4 GtCO 2 yr −1 on average) from 2025 to 2100, if its residence time is lengthened for 100–2,000 years and after 5% CO 2 removal is discounted to account for CO 2 emission due to machine operation for wood debris preservation. This translates to a reduction in global temperatures of 0.35–0.42 °C. Given the large potential, relatively low cost and long durability, future efforts should be focused on establishing large-scale demonstration projects for this technology in a variety of contexts, with rigorous monitoring of CO 2 removal, its co-benefits and side-effects.

Luo, Yiqi [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United State↗

DOE OSTI2022

LAW Primary Offgas Process (LOP) and LAW Secondary Offgas/Vessel Vent Process (LVP) System Design Description

This system design description (SDD) defines the technical, functional, and performance requirements of the Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Facility primary offgas process system (LOP) and the LAW Facility secondary offgas/vessel vent process system (LVP). This document details waste treatment requirements, environmental compliance requirements, and authorization basis requirements of the LOP and LVP systems as they are currently known and understood.

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NASA NTRS1971

Skylab environmental control and life support systems

Skylab life support systems design and performance prediction covering thermal and humidity control, atmospheric supply, carbon dioxide removal, water and waste management

Hopson, G. D.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Product Lifecycle Management and the Quest for Sustainable Space Exploration Solutions

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is an outcome of lean thinking to eliminate waste and increase productivity. PLM is inextricably tied to the systems engineering business philosophy, coupled with a methodology by which personnel, processes and practices, and information technology combine to form an architecture platform for product design, development, manufacturing, operations, and decommissioning. In this model, which is being implemented by the Engineering Directorate at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Marshall Space Flight Center, total lifecycle costs are important variables for critical decisionmaking. With the ultimate goal to deliver quality products that meet or exceed requirements on time and within budget, PLM is a powerful tool to shape everything from engineering trade studies and testing goals, to integrated vehicle operations and retirement scenarios. This paper will demonstrate how the Engineering Directorate is implementing PLM as part of an overall strategy to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable space exploration solutions. It has been 30 years since the United States fielded the Space Shuttle. The next generation space transportation system requires a paradigm shift such that digital tools and knowledge management, which are central elements of PLM, are used consistently to maximum effect. The outcome is a better use of scarce resources, along with more focus on stakeholder and customer requirements, as a new portfolio of enabling tools becomes second nature to the workforce. This paper will use the design and manufacturing processes, which have transitioned to digital-based activities, to show how PLM supports the comprehensive systems engineering and integration function. It also will go through a launch countdown scenario where an anomaly is detected to show how the virtual vehicle created from paperless processes will help solve technical challenges and improve the likelihood of launching on schedule, with less hands-on labor needed for processing and troubleshooting. Sustainable space exploration solutions demand that all lifecycle phases be optimized. Adopting PLM, which has been used by the automotive industry for many years, for aerospace applications provides a foundation for strong, disciplined systems engineering and accountable return on investment by making lifecycle considerations variables in an iterative decision-making process. This paper combines the perspectives of the founding father of PLM, along with the experience of Engineering leaders who are implementing these processes and practices real-time. As the nation moves from an industrial-based society to one where information is a valued commodity, future NASA programs and projects will benefit from the experience being gained today for the exploration missions of tomorrow.

Caruso, Pamela W.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Product Lifecycle Management and the Quest for Sustainable Space Explorations

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is an outcome of lean thinking to eliminate waste and increase productivity. PLM is inextricably tied to the systems engineering business philosophy, coupled with a methodology by which personnel, processes and practices, and information technology combine to form an architecture platform for product design, development, manufacturing, operations, and decommissioning. In this model, which is being implemented by the Engineering Directorate at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Marshall Space Flight Center, total lifecycle costs are important variables for critical decision-making. With the ultimate goal to deliver quality products that meet or exceed requirements on time and within budget, PLM is a powerful concept to shape everything from engineering trade studies and testing goals, to integrated vehicle operations and retirement scenarios. This paper will demonstrate how the Engineering Directorate is implementing PLM as part of an overall strategy to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable space exploration solutions. It has been 30 years since the United States fielded the Space Shuttle. The next generation space transportation system requires a paradigm shift such that digital tools and knowledge management, which are central elements of PLM, are used consistently to maximum effect. The outcome is a better use of scarce resources, along with more focus on stakeholder and customer requirements, as a new portfolio of enabling tools becomes second nature to the workforce. This paper will use the design and manufacturing processes, which have transitioned to digital-based activities, to show how PLM supports the comprehensive systems engineering and integration function. It also will go through a launch countdown scenario where an anomaly is detected to show how the virtual vehicle created from paperless processes will help solve technical challenges and improve the likelihood of launching on schedule, with less hands-on labor needed for processing and troubleshooting.

Caruso, Pamela W.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Product Lifecycle Management and the Quest for Sustainable Space Exploration Solutions

Caruso, Pamela W.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Impact of Biofilms on the Design and Operation of ISS Life Support Systems

Biofilm growth has been an ongoing issue for US and Russian water systems on the International Space Station, and is a critical issue for exploration missions in which water systems must be designed to accommodate dormant periods of up to one year. On ISS, Russian condensate plumbing has previously clogged with biomass, requiring condensate plumbing to now be regularly replaced. In the US Segment, the release of biofilm from the Water Processor waste tank has clogged a solenoid valve downstream of the tank, resulting in the costly replacement of the inlet separator and process pump. Subsequent management of the biofilm in the waste tank involves restrictions on tank cycles to limit the release of biomass and an additional filter to protect downstream components. Engineering personnel are now evaluating concepts to better manage the biomass, including the use of microbial inhibitors and UV LEDs. Though current ISS operations could likely be sustained for the duration of ISS, a more effective method must be developed for managing the growth and release of biomass in future exploration vehicles. Biofilm management for future missions is complicated by the requirement to accommodate extended periods of dormancy during which time the water system will be stagnant. The current approach under consideration is to flush the waste water with product water to reduce the organic content followed by use of microbial inhibitors or UV. However, other concepts may also be developed based on ongoing research.

Carter, Donald Layne↗

DOE OSTI2020

Pyrolysis of Radioactive Spent Resins in the PRIME Installation - 20190

Montair and Belgoprocess developed the pilot PRIME (Pyrolysis Resins In Mobile Electric) Installation for treatment of spent resins in one single reactor without pre-treatment and without intermixing of other waste, allowing for easy traceability and isotopic characterization of the end product. Both low level waste (LLW, < 2 mSv/h) and medium level waste (MLW, > 2 mSv/h) can be treated in the installation. The PRIME pilot installation is designed to treat 2 batches of 100 liter of saturated ion exchange resins over a period of 24 hours. A dosing unit with screw feeder is used for the dosing of the saturated ion exchange resins to the pyrolysis reactor. This completely new developed innovative pyrolysis reactor contains a special design mechanical stirrer and can operate at a temperature of up to 600 deg. C under inert conditions. As a result, the organic molecules will decompose at an accelerated rate until only the mineralized material remains. The lower temperature and the absence of oxygen also prevent the breakdown of ion exchange resins into (powdery) ash, which is a considerable advantage during further handling. Gases that are released during drying and pyrolysis are treated in an also newly developed thermal oxidizer, which uses an innovative, electrically heated design instead of a traditional natural gas- or fuel oil secondary combustion chamber design. After passing through the thermal oxidizer, the gases are cooled down to saturation temperature and treated in the wet scrubbing system. An extraction fan keeps the system under negative pressure to prevent the possibility of any off-gas leakage out of the system. A series of tests were performed successfully with wet cationic resins, anionic resins and a mixture of both. The results of these tests are described in the presentation. For intellectual property protection, the system and process of pyrolysis of organic waste and the system of thermal oxidation of pyrolysis gases described in this paper are patent pending. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2023

E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility Multitiered Groundwater and Intruder Radionuclide Screening

Solid Waste Management (SWM) operates the E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility (ELLWF) where low level on-site and off-site solid waste streams are buried. The facility has been in operation since late 1994 and is currently projected to remain in operation until 2065. This facility can accommodate a broad range of waste forms resulting from the six different types of disposal unit (DU) options (i.e., varying degrees of engineered barriers → trenches to concrete vaults). This facility is currently operating under a Performance Assessment (PA) issued back in 2008 (WSRC 2008), along with several subsequent supporting Special Analyses (SAs). The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) developed the prior PAs and SAs and was tasked to update the facility’s upcoming PA, most likely to be issued during FY2023. For operating the E-Area facility, a Consolidated Waste Tracking System (CWTS) is actively employed by waste generators where every radionuclide entering the facility, to be buried in one of its many DUs1, must be either directly or indirectly tracked. Since there are many radionuclides in existence (>3,000), the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), specially ICRP Publication 107, has provided guidance on the subset of radionuclides requiring further assessment in landfills such as the ELLWF. The ICRP 107 publication provides critical radiological information on 1,252 radionuclides consisting of 97 elements. This database, along with the current dose coefficients that have been developed for these radionuclides in DOE-STD-1196-2011 (DOE 2011), is the critical starting point for developing a consistent inventory limit system.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2021

Machine learning-enabled prediction of chemical durability of A 2 B 2 O 7 pyrochlore and fluorite

Pyrochlore-structure type and its derivative in a general formula A 2 B 2 O 7 (A = rare earth elements and actinides; B = Ti, Sn, Zr, Hf, Pb, Si, etc.) display excellent structural flexibility and rich crystal chemistry as promising nuclear waste form materials capable of immobilizing actinides and fission products. It is essential to understand these materials’ chemical durability and element release of radionuclides in order to evaluate their performance in near-field environment. However, it is a formidable grand technological challenge to experimentally perform durability testing across hundreds of thousands of possibilities resulting from their extreme compositional complexities due to cation substitutions at both A and B-sites. In this work, we demonstrate a machine learning approach to determine the key materials parameters and structural characteristics governing the leaching behaviors from a small set of selected compositions as model systems, enabling a science-based prediction of their chemical durability that can be extended to a wide range of chemical compositions. The combination of four key structural characteristics and materials parameters, including ionic radius size difference , ionic potential difference , electronegativity difference , and lattice parameter , creates features an optimized prediction of the chemical durability. Two machine learning models, linear regression and Kernel ridge regression models, are trained on the randomly-split training dataset derived from the experimentally-determined elemental release rates, and subsequently tested on the testing dataset. The predicted leaching rates from both machine learning models show an excellent agreement with the experimental data, demonstrating the feasibility of rapidly evaluating the material properties of new compositions. These results highlight the immense potential of synergizing informatics through machine learning-based models and well-controlled experiments of selected model systems to accelerate materials design and discovery with optimized compositions and performance of promising materials for effective nuclear waste management.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2025

Upcycling Mixed Spent Ni-Lean Cathodes into Ni-Rich Polycrystalline Cathodes

Sustainable battery recycling is vital for conserving resources and reducing environmental impacts. Current open- and closed-loop recycling strategies often focus on recovering individual components, making the reuse of mixed cathode materials a complex challenge. Meanwhile, the research on upcycling has been limited to using pristine cathode feedstocks and virgin materials for synthesis. Here, to address this issue, we present an upcycling approach for spent Ni-lean mixed cathode materials that integrate an upcycling hydrometallurgical recycling process with traditional hydrometallurgical methods. This strategy achieves a utilization of 92.31 mol % of recycled materials, enabling the regeneration of Ni-rich cathode materials while significantly reducing the reliance on virgin resources. The regenerated 83Ni cathode materials demonstrate physical properties comparable to those produced from virgin materials. Electrochemical evaluations using single-layer pouch cells show that both recycled and virgin cathodes exhibit initial specific capacity close to 201.1 mAh/g and maintain approximately 88 % capacity retention after 500 cycles. Additionally, 2Ah cells confirmed these findings, delivering 85 % capacity retention after about 900 cycles. Techno-economic analysis demonstrates notable environmental benefits, including reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, achieving 232.75 MJ/kg of product, which is 8.6 % lower than traditional methods and comparable to direct upcycling. Furthermore, the upcycling hydrometallurgical recycling process generates the highest profit, proving its economic viability. This scalable and versatile process is adaptable to varying transition metal compositions, facilitating a closed-loop recycling system that bridges mixed spent cathodes with next-generation cathode materials, and offers a sustainable solution for managing waste battery materials.

Hydrometallurgical recycling↗

NASA NTRS1979

Considerations associated with the introduction of female crewmembers in spacecraft and space stations

This paper examines considerations of inclusion of female crewmembers in spacecraft and space stations. The anthropometric and physiological differences between males and females as related to spaceflight such as body dimensions, muscle strength characteristics, body posture, reach, and physiological differences are discussed. Crew provisions including inflight garments, hair style, cosmetics, personal hygiene, waste management, and personal privacy are described. Impacts on hardware design and crew performance, examples of effects on Orbiter systems, data on females and their performance under conditions analogous to spaceflight, and earth-based simulation experience are examined. It is concluded that no major problems have been found which would preclude females from space, and in the future the novelty of mixed crews will significantly decrease.

Brown, J. W.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Process material management in the Space Station environment

The Space Station will provide a unique facility for conducting material-processing and life-science experiments under microgravity conditions. These conditions place special requirements on the U.S. Laboratory for storing and transporting chemicals and process fluids, reclaiming water from selected experiments, treating and storing experiment wastes, and providing vacuum utilities. To meet these needs and provide a safe laboratory environment, the Process Material Management System (PMMS) is being developed. Preliminary design requirements and concepts related to the PMMS are addressed, and the MSFC PMMS breadboard test facility and a preliminary plan for validating the overall system design are discussed.

Perry, J. L.↗