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At least 451 records · Page 25
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Brine Availability Test in Salt (BATS) FY23 Update

This report summarizes the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) status of the second phase of a series of borehole heater tests in salt at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) funded by the Disposal Research and Development (R&D) program of the Spent Fuel & Waste Science and Technology (SFWST) office at the US Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy’s (DOE-NE) Office in the Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition (SFWD) program.

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

LYNM PE1 Pre-Experiment A Site Characterization Report

Underground chemical explosive experiments such as LYNM PE1 generate large multiphenomenological datasets, require complex site preparation and build out, and utilize cutting edge models and analysis techniques to analyze and simulate the explosion-induced signals. This wide range of outcomes makes it a necessity to thoroughly characterize the testbed in advance of experiments in a way that complements the wide suite of data being generated. Here, we present a broad overview of the site characterization work and data collection that was conducted before Experiment A, which is the first in a series of three PE1 experiments. This work includes, but is not limited to, geologic mapping, physical sample collection, analysis of material properties, geophysical borehole logging, and in-situ measurements. This information was collected by a large, dedicated team and was used to inform site construction, finalize instrumentation placement, generate Geologic Framework Models, feed pre-experiment predictions, and facilitate post-experiment data analysis

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Soil Sampling Results for Delineating BH-056 for Partial Closure of Solid Waste Management Unit #16

The U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) and National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC (NTESS), the management and operating contractor for Sandia National Laboratories/California (SNL/CA), has prepared this addendum to Soil Sampling Results for Closure of a Portion of Solid Waste Management Unit #16 to report the results of additional soil sampling relating to the closure of a portion of Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) #16. This additional sampling was in response to a request by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (SFRWQCB) in their letters dated February 16 and August 18, 2022 relating to the detection of the benzidine above the defined project action level in a soil sample collected adjacent to the sanitary sewer line in borehole BH-056 (SFRWQCB, 2022A; 2022b).

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Material Property Determinations for Rock Valley Legacy Samples in Support of Source Physics Experiment

The Source Physics Experiment (SPE) is a long-term NNSA research and development effort designed to improve nonproliferation verification and monitoring capabilities. The overarching goals of the SPE program are to improve understanding of prompt signals and physical signatures that develop from underground chemical explosions and associated modeling capabilities. Our work focuses on a primary factor controlling chemical explosion induced signals and signatures: the material properties of the rocks in which the chemical explosion takes place. This document reports on material property determinations of legacy core USGS Test Well F and outcrop analogs for the subsurface stratigraphy for the third phase of SPE in the Rock Valley (RV) area of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The objective of this work is to establish a baseline set of lithologic descriptions and material properties expected prior to observatory borehole drilling in support of the SPE-RVDC (Rock Valley Direct Comparison) experiment. We determine for each rock type the compressional failure envelope, elastic properties as a function of stress (bulk modulus versus mean stress, shear modulus versus shear stress, Young’s modulus versus axial stress and Poisson’s ratio versus axial stress), indirect tensile strength, and porosity. Geologic characterization, both at the core-scale and microscale, provides context for using the data in modeling efforts and to inform interpretations for the material properties testing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Brine Availability Test in Salt (BATS) FY24 Update

This report summarizes fiscal year 2024 (FY24) activities centered around a series of field tests in bedded salt at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) funded by the Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Science and Technology in the Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition (SFWD) program of the US Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE). High-level Purpose of Experiments: The Brine Availability Test in Salt (BATS) field tests are revealing both brine occurrence (i.e., where, and how much) and brine migration (i.e., how easily it moves) in the excavation damaged zone (EDZ). This understanding is foundational to develop a safety case for a future heat-generating waste repository in salt, and to starting up a generic repository program in salt to buy down risk. BATS seeks to predict how much brine can flow into both ambient and heated excavations (e.g., boreholes or rooms) in salt. This work is educating and empowering new repository scientists on two fronts: “design and execution of field tests” and “prediction and modeling of coupled processes.” DOE-NE capabilities in salt have grown and been tested through international modeling and benchmarking exercises (e.g., DECOVALEX, RANGERS, KOMPASS, and MEASURES; see Mills et al., 2024). The hands-on expertise we are building is a necessary step towards large-scale disposal demonstrations and eventual implementation.

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

Description of the Gas Sampling and Circulation System for the LYNM PE1-A Experiment

A series of multiphysics experiments, referred to as Physics Experiment 1 (PE1) is underway at the U.S. Nevada National Security Site. The PE1 series includes detonations of three underground chemical explosions. As the name implies, there are a number of experiments investigating the signals generated by the explosion. The experiment series objectives are outlined in a report from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.1 One of the experiments is a gas migration experiment. Gas tracers were imbedded in the explosives and gas sampling boreholes were installed in the formation in the test bed. Connected to the monitoring points is a circulation system that moves gas to a central measurement location. This report does not describe the gas analysis or collection systems, but rather the circulation system that provides the gas for measurement. Here, we have combined four project documents into a single report that describes the design, build, installation, testing, and operation of the gas sampling network.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

DECOVALEX-2023: Task B Final Report

In all repository concepts for the geological disposal of radioactive waste, an engineered barrier system (EBS) is used to encapsulate the waste canister, or, to act as borehole or gallery seals. These systems are often based on bentonite clays due to their low permeability and high swelling capacity enabling the closure of engineering voids. However, in all repository concepts gases will be generated through the corrosion of metallic materials (under anoxic conditions), the radioactive decay of waste and the radiolysis of water. Thus, understanding the processes and mechanisms controlling the advective movement of gas (as a discrete phase) in clay-based materials is a key aspect when assessing the impact of gas flow in a repository safety case.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Scaling Containment on a Large Centrifuge

Containment science concerns the trapping or leakage of radioactive cavity gases from underground nuclear explosions (UNEs). The most physically relevant data for validation of containment science comes from legacy UNE testing or large field-scale chemical explosions. Field-scale tests can inform on the degree of residual stress imparted to host geology and possible formation of an accompanying gas-containing “stress cage”, for example, as a function of chemical explosion yield. However, field testing can be expensive, difficult to conduct, and challenging to instrument with limitations on data coverage (i.e., the number of boreholes; difficult coring through damage zones). Small-scale laboratory tests are typically simpler to conduct and more thoroughly characterize, but may not include the right scale of containment processes for stress-cage or chimney formation. This report presents the theory and fundamentals of large centrifuge physical modeling, including a history of explosive or similar testing relevant to containment science investigations on centrifuges. Subscale models with embedded chemical explosives in the enhanced gravity of a large centrifuge can represent hundreds of meters of depth and large explosions not otherwise attainable in the laboratory as based on scaling of length, energy, and other processes by the g-factor of the centrifuge (i.e., the number of times larger the centrifugal force is than the gravitational force on the Earth’s surface). The centrifuge uniquely joins the simplicity and exhaustiveness of laboratory-scale characterization with the physics of field-scale processes. This report is part of Sandia National Laboratories’ (SNL’s) effort to prepare for physical modeling with approximately one-meter tall geologic models of stress cage and/or chimney formation on its 29-foot [8.84 m] radius centrifuge with a load capacity of 1.6 million 𝑔-pounds [726 𝑔-ton]. The scaling relationships herein will inform model design decisions and performance requirements for in-flight sensors.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Aquifer Hydraulic Testing and Characterization Plan for the Ringold Formation Unit A in the Hanford 200-ZP-1 Groundwater Operable Unit and Vicinity

This document presents a plan for testing and characterizing the hydraulic properties of the Ringold Formation, member of Wooded Island – unit A (Rwia) in the 200-ZP groundwater operable unit. The testing approach includes multiple field methods and associated analyses designed to investigate and understand aquifer hydraulic properties over a range of scales. Testing was designed to achieve specific testing objectives identified previously in the 200 ZP-1 Groundwater Operable Unit Ringold Formation Unit A Characterization Sampling and Analysis Plan (Ringold A SAP). The test plan provides necessary technical and operational detail for writing subsequent field test instruction documents specific to each testing location. Hydraulic characterization activities will proceed in a phased manner focusing on areas identified to have knowledge gaps and also critical for remedy modifications and/or selection. These activities are designed to minimize impact to pump-and-treat (P&T) operations and to use existing P&T injection and extraction wells as stress wells, and include use of the new Rwia monitoring wells installed for Ringold A SAP activities. ZP-1 hydraulic testing will include slug testing in new Rwia wells, shutdown-recovery tests in multiple Rwia and composite Ringold Formation member of Wooded Island – unit E (Rwie)-Rwia aquifer test locations, installation of new Automated Water Level Network stations in Rwia monitoring wells, characterization of P&T and barometric responses, identifying the vertical distribution of hydraulic conductivity in the Rwia and Rwie units using electromagnetic borehole flowmeter tests, and single-well tracer testing in select Rwia monitoring wells. Slug testing to be conducted during drilling is described under the Ringold A SAP. The remaining testing activities are to be conducted after well drilling and completion and are described in this test plan.

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

Quality Analysis of Baseline Time-Lapse CSEM Data CarbonSAFE Project, North Dakota

Conference presentation at International Meeting for Applied Geoscience & Energy (IMAGE), Houston, TX, August 28 – September 2, 2022. When a series of time-lapse CSEM surveys are designed to measure the often-small variations in signal seen in CCUS projects, the primary concern must be collecting the highest-quality data and reducing as much noise as possible. This includes optimization during planning and feasibility, careful and consistent quality checks in the field, and transparent and repeatable postprocessing steps. We apply this practice to a baseline (prior to CO 2 injection) CSEM data set collected for a time-lapse survey in Center, North Dakota, as a part of the North Dakota CarbonSAFE project, and describe the rigorous quality control and assessment methods used, including noise removal and data validation with 1D and 3D inversion to tie results to borehole logs. The final result is an accurate and representative CSEM data set and information that stakeholders can use to inform future time-lapse survey costs and designs.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2023

CCUS Plume Monitoring: Verifying Surface CSEM Measurements to Log Scale Available

Conference presentation at Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) 64th Annual Symposium, Lake Conroe, Texas, June 10–14, 2023. In carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) monitoring, dynamic plume monitoring and reservoir seal are key issues. Plume monitoring is best addressed with electromagnetics (sensitive to the resistivity contrast) and reservoir leakage with microseismics. A case history from North Dakota illustrates how we can tie surface-controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) measurements to the three-dimensional (3D) anisotropic models derived from the available logs. This allows us to certify baseline measurements within the context of the borehole information.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

LYNM PE1 Pre-Experiment A Site Characterization Report

Underground chemical explosive experiments such as LYNM PE1 generate large multi-phenomenological datasets, require complex site preparation and build out, and utilize cutting edge models and analysis techniques to analyze and simulate the explosion-induced signals. This wide range of outcomes makes it a necessity to thoroughly characterize the testbed in advance of experiments in a way that complements the wide suite of data being generated. Here, we present a broad overview of the site characterization work and data collection that was conducted before Experiment A, which is the first in a series of three PE1 experiments. This work includes, but is not limited to, geologic mapping, physical sample collection, analysis of material properties, geophysical borehole logging, and in-situ measurements. This information was collected by a large, dedicated team and was used to inform site construction, finalize instrumentation placement, generate Geologic Framework Models, feed pre-experiment predictions, and facilitate post-experiment data analysis.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2025

Structural Evolution of the Hogback Monocline and Its Tectonic Significance in the San Juan Basin

The San Juan Basin is recognized as a Laramide foreland basin. It is located within the Colorado Plateau, a broad tectonic province characterized by a thick sedimentary sequence that was segmented into smaller sub basins during the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene Laramide orogeny. The Hogback Monocline lies along the northwestern margin of the San Juan Basin and is considered a Laramide-age structure formed in response to compressional stress. In this study, we interpret surface and subsurface datasets to construct a structural geological model and evaluate its tectonic significance. Through seismic data, we identify key fault and fold geometries at depth. The seismic dataset used in this study was reprocessed in depth and constrained with well log velocity data to enhance seismic imaging quality. Additionally, we performed well log correlations to identify formation tops and assess variations in basin infill and thickness geometry. A series of structural cross-sections, constructed using seismic data and a high density of boreholes, are presented to evaluate geometric variations along the structure and its evolution during basin development. Furthermore, kinematic restoration and forward modeling analyses were conducted to validate our structural interpretation. This work suggests that the Hogback Monocline formed through fault-propagation folding and flexural slip affecting the pre-Laramide sedimentary sequence under compressional stresses associated with the Laramide orogeny. This structure is interpreted as a high-angle reverse fault that influenced the geometry of the late basin infill. Additionally, monocline bending along the structure may have been controlled by fault relay systems and, in some cases, influenced by strike-slip faulting.

Reyes, Martin [New Mexico Bureau o fGeology and Mi↗
DOE OSTI2023

Argon-isotopic Age Dating Analyses for Eastern Snake River Plain Volcanic Rock Samples

Argon-isotopic age dating analyses were conducted on 25 volcanic rock samples obtained from 22 boreholes and collected at three surface locations in the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP). The analyses were conducted to reduce uncertainties for characterizing volcanic hazards at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) as part of the Senior Seismic Hazard Analysis Committee (SSHAC) Level 3 Probabilistic Volcanic Hazards Assessment (PVHA). Results of the argon-isotopic age dating analyses will be used to estimate the recurrence of basaltic and silicic volcanism and for assessing the spatial and temporal distributions of volcanic events in the ESRP.

58 - GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Flow Regimes for Gas Migration in Liquid Stemming Columns

Some underground engineering projects require the design of an effective stemming column to confine pressurized gases within boreholes. While solid materials such as grout plugs are commonly used, their exothermic curing can damage diagnostic tools, particularly under harsh in situ conditions involving elevated pressure and temperature.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Carbondale Community Geothermal Coalition – Replicable Models for Decarbonizing Mixed-Use Rural Communities

The Carbondale Community Geothermal Coalition (CCGC) set out to prove that a fifth-generation geothermal district heating & cooling (5G GDHC) network can be technically feasible, cost-effective, and socially equitable for a small, mixed-use rural community. During Budget Period 1 (Planning & Design) the team: ● Completed a 449 ft thermal-response test confirming excellent ground conductivity (k = 1.69 Btu ft -1 hr -1 °F -1 ) and a benign 56.3 °F undisturbed temperature. Page 1 Final Technical Report for Award Number: DE-EE0010663 ● Built a fully calibrated digital twin (URBANopt → Modelica) for 240 k ft 2 of existing + future buildings. ● Designed a 75-borehole ambient-temperature loop (ATL) augmented by 75 solar-thermal panels, supplying 44 % of district heating and 100 % cooling in Stage-1. ● Produced retrofit bid-ready drawings for the Third Street Center and Second Street Townhomes. ● Reached > 200 community stakeholders and exceeded equity targets (46 % Hispanic/Latinx participation). ● Drafted a multi-tiered workforce plan aligned with Colorado Mountain College (Hispanic Serving Institution) and IGSHPA certifications.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Development of a web-based screening tool for ground source heat pump applications

Ground source heat pump (GSHP) technology has great potential to help the nation meet its energy and decarbonization goals, but several barriers hinder the wide application of GSHP. Important barriers include the lack of a coherent toolset for analyzing the technical feasibility and economic viability of the GSHP application. The current design and analysis methods are ineffective and require significant expertise to apply. Although building energy modeling is increasingly important in designing buildings, the tools for GSHP modeling and simulation are lacking. A web-based free-to-use tool is being developed for quick techno-economic analysis of GSHP applications in nearly any building in the United States. This tool is enabled by improvements in the calculation methodology to allow rapid sizing of borehole configurations that provide significant cost savings. The screening tool currently uses US Department of Energy (DOE) prototype building models and an extended g-function library to size ground heat exchangers and simulate the performance of GSHP systems. The team is integrating with DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory's AutoBEM program to automatically create a building model based on user inputs. This paper introduces the structure, components, features, and results of the web-based screening tool for GSHP applications. Future directions for further developing the tool are also discussed.

Liu, Xiaobing↗
DOE OSTI2020

Integration of Soft Data Into Geostatistical Simulation of Categorical Variables

Uncertain or indirect “soft” data, such as geologic interpretation, driller’s logs, geophysical logs or imaging, offer potential constraints or “soft conditioning” to stochastic models of discrete categorical subsurface variables in hydrogeology such as hydrofacies. Previous bivariate geostatistical simulation algorithms have not fully addressed the impact of data uncertainty in formulation of the (co) kriging equations and the objective function in simulated annealing (or quenching). This paper introduces the geostatistical simulation code tsim-s, which accounts for categorical data uncertainty through a data “hardness” parameter. In generating geostatistical realizations with tsim-s, the uncertainty inherent to soft conditioning is factored into both 1) the data declustering and spatial correlation functions in cokriging and 2) the acceptance probability for change of category in simulated quenching. The degree or sensitivity to which soft data conditions a realization as a function of hardness can be quantified by mapping category probabilities derived from multiple realizations. In addition to point or borehole data, arrays of data (e.g., as derived from a depth-dependency function, probability map, or “prior realization”) can be used as soft conditioning. The tsim-s algorithm provides a theoretically sound and general framework for integrating datasets of variable location, resolution, and uncertainty into geostatistical simulation of categorical variables. A practical example shows how tsim-s is capable of generating a large-scale three-dimensional simulation including curvilinear features.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗