Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “timeline”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 505 records · Page 28

Fermilab: A plan for discovery

This Plan for Discovery describes Fermilab’s long-term scientific strategy. It evolved from the report of the Fermilab Steering Group, convened in 2007 to obtain input from a broad spectrum of U.S. particle and accelerator physics communities and to prepare a report that would provide input to Fermilab, the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel, the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel and the funding agencies as they considered options for new particle accelerators and detectors in the United States. A number of key events have occurred in particle physics over the last four years, including the successful startup of the Large Hadron Collider, the extension of the timeline for the International Linear Collider, and the end of Tevatron operations. These events have guided Fermilab in its implementation of the recommendations of the Steering Group and have led to the development of this Plan for Discovery. The plan is designed to maintain the nation’s leadership in particle physics and keep the laboratory and the United States on the path to discovery at the frontiers of particle physics.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Bureau of Reclamation Hydropower Lease of Power Privilege: Case Studies and Considerations

This report analyzes the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's (Reclamation) lease of power privilege (LOPP) regulatory process for a nonfederal entity to use a Reclamation jurisdictional dam or conduit for power generation. Recent federal initiatives encouraging hydropower development at federally-owned facilities coupled with Reclamation's hydroelectric potential has led to an increased interest in powering Reclamation dams and conduits through the LOPP process. During the last five years, 23 of the 36 total LOPP projects (76 MW) have been initiated and are at some phase of the development process. Resource assessments analyzed in this report identify over 360 MW of hydroelectric potential at Reclamation-owned dams and conduits. This report provides considerations from Reclamation staff involved in the LOPP regulatory process and developers that have received an LOPP and are currently generating hydropower at a Reclamation dam or conduit. The authors also analyze LOPP regulatory processing timelines before and after the implementation of federal initiatives to streamline the LOPP process and provide case studies of hydropower projects that have obtained an LOPP.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

Next Generation Hydrogen Storage Vessels Enabled by Carbon Fiber Infusion with a Low Viscosity, High Toughness System

Onboard hydrogen storage for fuel cell vehicles holds considerable commercial promise which could be accelerated by lower cost storage vessels. In past years, the use of lower cost reinforcing fiber had been studied as an intuitive avenue to reduce vessel costs. Although the matrix resin does not play a large role in bearing stress loads in many areas of a filament wound pressure vessel, the matrix is relied upon for stress transfer between fibers and appears to play an important role in certain regions of the vessel construction such as the “tangent region” where the cylinder section transitions to the dome. Also, the matrix resin can play a role in the damage tolerance of vessels after impact events. Furthermore, the effect of dry spots or voids in the laminate can affect stress transfer between fibers in a manner that is challenging to quantify. Therefore, excess fiber must be used to account for this variability in performance. Unfortunately, in the case hydrogen pressure vessels the cost of the vessel is strongly dependent on the amount of carbon-fiber used in the design and manufacturing. An extensive investigation on the use of non-traditional fabrication processes enabled by an ultra-low viscosity thermoset resin (<10 cP) with high fracture toughness was conducted to determine the opportunity to reduce carbon-fiber usage and the associated high cost. The hypothesis was based on enabling a lower variation in vessel performance from a reduction in void defects (often found with traditional wet-winding) and a more defect-tolerant vessel resulting from use of a matrix resin with high fracture toughness. These two features were anticipated to justify a more aggressive design approach to the vessel winding pattern. From the work in this project, the potential use of the vacuum infusion approach to produce high quality vessels was validated. However, the team recognized the need to re-optimize the design, the dry-process, and the vacuum infusion process at each scale-up stage. During the planning phase, the critical need to re-optimize at this frequency was under-estimated. Also, the team identified the lack of industry testing standards on subscale parts for providing predictive value of vessel performance. Therefore, significant effort is needed to produce statistically significant numbers of vessels. To produce such numbers of vessels the project needed in retrospect to partner closely with a series vessel manufactures to develop a proof of concept production line to make the vessels. However, without the appropriate data, a manufacturing partner was challenging to fully engage during this timeline. New technologies relying on changing raw materials and manufacturing processes carry inherent risks. This project did not reach its ultimate objectives of demonstrated a vessel with lower carbon-fiber. But some companies expressed interest in learning from the partial successes of this project for future challenges in pressure vessel applications.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Nuclear Technology Research and Development (NTRD) Technical Monthly August FY17

S. Bragg-Sitton and B. Merrill held a teleconference with researchers from General Atomics (GA) to discuss the possible use of the modified version of MELCOR for analysis of ATF. GA is interested in having INL extend the MELCOR work led by B. Merrill to update the SiC failure modes per their current data/understanding and to add U3Si2 fuel to the materials options. GA may also want to link FRAPTRAN with MELCOR. The discussion focused on feasibility, given GA provides the fuel data and SiC failure models. A follow-on discussion has been scheduled with GA management on Friday, September 8 to address timeline and funding for the proposed work. (S. Bragg-Sitton)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

NoiseSpotter Feedback

NoiseSpotter is currently designed for a 2-week deployment. This timeline will likely be problematic for MHK developers. Developers will want a robust/proven system that they can deploy and not worry about for longer than 2 weeks (especially for the continued monitoring of a site).

42 ENGINEERING↗

Non-invasive Polarimetry and Magnetometry

CRADA Objective: To build a non-invasive polarimeter and receiver and test them on Jlab’s beamline. CRADA Statement of Work: “Electrodynamic has a timeline for the development of hardware due to its SBIR with the DOE. The equipment developed will be made available to the Jefferson Lab as it is constructed. Because this equipment is expected to be used in ongoing accelerator commissioning activities and experiments, there is a high likelihood of its use during the project period. Equipment installed at CEBAF will remain at CEBAF. Equipment installed at test stands can be removed and returned to Electrodynamic if requested. Data sharing from the equipment’s use will provide Electrodynamic with invaluable performance data. The capabilities of the equipment provided will enhance JLAB’s ability to monitor and manipulate its beam.”

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

UW Translational Imaging Biomarker and Therapeutic Development

The development and validation of radiotracers is a critical step in the clinical translation of molecular imaging and theranostics to support personalized medicine. The proposed program is to support such efforts by an interdisciplinary team of investigators at the University of Washington (UW) and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) and to provide opportunities for trainees to learn the spectrum of translational research in imaging biomarkers and therapeutic development. The proposed translational research projects include "Preclinical Evaluation of PET Imaging for Use in the Translation of Targeted Alpha Therapy of Blood-Related Cancers to Clinical Studies" (Project 1-Wilbur, leader); "Hypoxia Imaging: Radiopharmaceuticals, Preclinical Studies, Mechanisms and Clinical trials" (Project 2-Krohn, leader); and "Diagnostic Applications of Radiolabeled Biologics in Solid Tumors" (Project 3-Minoshima, leader). These projects use radiotracers with long half-lives, such as F-18, Zr-89, I-124, and At-211, that can potentially be handled commercially if translation research is successful. The proposed research method is to use an interdisciplinary 'team' of expert investigators and trainees working on a specific project for 1 or 2 years along the timeline and milestones set by the Program Directors. Each team includes 1) a clinician expert; 2) a radiochemistry expert; 3) an imaging or radiation therapy expert; 4) a physicist; 5) trainees; and 6) a UW technology transfer officer. Two groups of trainees will be involved: clinical and basic science (radiochemistry) trainees. Clinical trainees will be recruited from 3 training programs: Nuclear Medicine Resident Program; Radiology Residency Program; and Residency Program in Radiation Oncology. Basic science trainees will be graduate students from degree-awarding departments (chemistry, material sciences, bioengineering) or post-doctoral students (radiology, radiation oncology, or collaborating departments). A goal of training is to develop future investigators who will be able to conduct independent translational research with knowledge and expertise earned in this interdisciplinary team environment. To address clinically relevant questions, the program will organize regular brainstorming meetings participated by clinicians from various medical disciplines; program investigators; trainees; technology transfer officers to discuss medical questions, relevant targets, and technical feasibility. UW provides outstanding research and clinical facilities and resources that can be accessed by investigators. The Departments of Radiology and Radiation Oncology at UW have been at the forefront of translational imaging and therapeutics research efforts in cancer, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. This funding opportunity will solidify ongoing efforts of interdisciplinary collaborations at UW into a cohesive program that will train a new generation of investigators. This will, in turn, accelerate the translational potential of new radiotracers by rapid developments of proof-of-concept and first-in-man studies along with in vivo validations in a clinically relevant context.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Gas-cooled Fast Reactor Research and Development Roadmap

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) commissioned the development of technology roadmaps for advanced (non-light water reactor) reactor concepts to help focus research and development funding over the next five years. The roadmaps show the research and development needed to support demonstration of an advanced (non-LWR) concept by 2030, consistent with DOE’s Vision and Strategy for the Development and Deployment of Advanced Reactors. The starting point for the roadmaps is the Technical Readiness Assessment performed as part of an Advanced Test and Demonstration Reactor study released in 2016. The roadmaps were developed based upon a review of technical reports and vendor literature summarizing the technical maturity of each concept and the outstanding research and development needs. Critical path tasks for specific systems were highlighted on the basis of time and resources needed to complete the tasks and the importance of the system to the performance of the reactor concept. The roadmaps are intended to be generic, i.e. not specific to a particular vendor’s design, but features of the General Atomics EM2 were included to provide specific examples to illuminate needed R&D tasks to be conducted in support of demonstration in the 2030-2035 window. This report provides the roadmaps to engineering demonstration for of a Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor with an outlet temperature around 850 C. The selection of tasks and associated timelines rely heavily upon the Generation IV International Forum Technology Roadmaps and more recent information provided by a GFR developer, General Atomics.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Data Transferability and Collection Consistency in Marine Renewable Energy

Concerns about the potential effects of tidal turbines and wave energy devices on the marine environment continue to slow siting and permitting/consenting of single devices and arrays worldwide. While research studies and early results from post-installation monitoring over the past decade have informed interactions between marine renewable energy (MRE) devices, marine animals, and habitats, regulators still demonstrate considerable reluctance to accelerate the permitting/consenting process for devices and arrays. Furthermore, the MRE industry is struggling with the high costs of baseline assessments and post-installation monitoring, as well as long timelines for obtaining permits, which leads to uncertainty and risk related to project financing. Regulators require assessment and monitoring information to allow them to carry out the necessary analyses to describe, permit/consent, and manage the environmental risks associated with new MRE technologies and new uses of ocean space. One way to reduce risks to the industry and the environment and to allow for acceleration of the permitting/consenting process could be to transfer learning, analyses, and data sets from one country to another, among projects, and across jurisdictional boundaries. In addition, data are collected around early-stage MRE devices using many different methods, instruments, and measurement scales. If similar parameters and accessible methods of data collection were used for baseline assessments and post-installation monitoring around all early-stage devices and MRE developments, the results would be more readily comparable. This comparability would lead to a decrease in scientific uncertainty and support a common understanding of the risk of MRE devices to the marine environment. This in turn would facilitate more efficient and shorter permitting/consenting processes, which would decrease the financial risk for MRE project development. As a means of addressing the concept of transferring data (information, learning, analyses, and data sets) among projects and collecting data consistently, Annex IV has developed a data transferability process that has been socialized with the MRE community, which includes regulators, industry, developers, consultants, and researchers. The data transferability process consists of five components: 1. A Data Transferability Framework brings together data sets in an organized fashion, compares the applicability of each data set for use on other projects, and guides the process of data transfer 2. A Data Collection Consistency Table provides preferred measurement methods or processes, reporting units, and the most common methods of analysis or interpretation and use of data 3. A Monitoring Data Sets Discoverability Matrix allows a practitioner to discover data sets based on the approach presented in the Framework 4. Best Management Practices (BMPs) include five BMPs related to data transferability and collection consistency 5. An Implementation Plan presents an approach for implementing and applying the data transferability process. This report documents the background and development of the data transferability process and associated components and summarizes the next steps needed to successfully implement and apply the data transferability process.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

UO 2 HALEU Transportation Package Evaluation and Recommendations

This M3FT-19IN030205042 milestone report presents the current status on investigations related to the development of HALEU transportation capabilities in the U.S. The report initially reviews potential short-term HALEU production options and describes an expected HALEU composition. It then discusses the regulatory bases for HALEU transportation and identifies two compliant packaging designs: (1) the TN Americas TN-LC and (2) the NAC International OPTIMUS™-L. To modify these designs for HALEU transportation, an inner canister concept, and modular metal and foam basket concepts were developed, and this is described in the report. The expected activity, criticality tendency, radiation level, and decay heat of the package content are evaluated considering the specific system characteristics. Based on the results of the investigations, the research team consisting of INL, PNNL, and ORNL staff concluded that, given the anticipated source material composition, the OPTIMUS™-L, or a comparable design, is the preferred candidate. This is due to its larger HALEU payload per LWT, lighter weight, and simpler handling procedures compared to the TN-LC. Thus, ongoing research efforts for the scope of this project will focus on more thorough evaluations of the OPTIMUS™-L packaging for HALEU transportation. A tentative timeline is presented for the remaining work that is planned for FY 2020. The goal is the development of F&Rs that provide guidance to a potential HALEU transportation package vendor on critical specifications by August 2020.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

A Model for Lean Corporate/ Startup Interfaces: Unlocking Resources of Midcap Corporations Providing a Pathway to Advanced Energy Technologies

Commercializing energy technologies through traditional market pathways is challenging for early-stage energy innovators. Development cycles in energy are long and expensive, and adoption is difficult, making energy technologies of limited interest to venture capital relative to industries with faster growth and shorter product life cycles such as life sciences and software. As such, partnerships with established corporations are one of the most promising, and in some cases only, go-to-market pathways for energy technologies. Startups often seek to work with, large well-known Fortune 500 (and similar) companies. However, the size and risk aversion of those firms often makes partnering challenging. It can take well over 12 months for a large corporation to agree to commercial terms and get internal board / management approval to move forward with a binding agreement with a startup for even a simple starting partnership. This timeline is prohibitive for most early-stage companies who are both time and money constrained, and often working in highly competitive commodity sectors. Mid-cap corporations ($\$ $100M to $\$ $10B) are a promising but untapped resource for partnering with technology developers because they are often nimbler, tend to be fiercely competitive, and are looking for new revenue or cost-saving opportunities. These factors make them both more receptive to disruptive technologies, and more capable of integrating them. However, while Fortune 500 companies often have venturing groups that facilitate the initial connection process, most midcap incumbents do not have the resources to create standalone corporate venture groups. As a result, although they could help each other significantly (startup technologies make midcaps more competitive; midcaps offer a faster commercialization pathway to startups), midcap companies and startups rarely work together. In 2017, ADL Ventures (ADL) received Award #DE-EE0008111 from DOE EERE’s Innovative Pathways program to unlock the domain expertise and material resources of midcap companies. The goal of the award was to support energy technology commercialization via an innovation platform for startups to interface with midcap corporations. During the grant period, we have developed a novel open innovation platform that allows financially conservative incumbents to efficiently engage with energy innovators and startups, thereby unlocking the incumbents’ domain expertise, strategic capital, R&D facilities, supply chain, and pathways to market. We have executed full-scale open innovation challenges for three clients, exceeding the initial proposed goal of two. We also built a diversified opportunity pipeline which resulted in four projects contracted for 2020, meeting the goals of the proposal, with others pending.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Thermal Energy Storage Selection for Near Term Nuclear Integration

Thermal energy storage (TES) integration with existing and future light water reactors (LWRs) has the capability to increase the deployment options and uses for the large amounts of heat produced in nuclear reactor cores. The present method of exclusively producing electricity has become less economical with increases in renewable energy penetration leading to times of low or negative electricity prices. Some response to this new grid reality has been to begin load following nuclear reactors, an unideal choice due to the relatively small modular cost of producing nuclear energy compared to the revenue that could be received by using all of the heat produced. To support research in this area, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has joined with Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) on the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP) to contract the Joint Use Modular Plant (JUMP). CFPP is planned to be a 12-module NuScale operating site built on INL property, with the first module dedicated to JUMP for research, development, and demonstration purposes. The JUMP module coming online around the beginning of fiscal year 2027 in the current project timeline. One primary goal of JUMP is to demonstrate TES integrated with an operating LWR in a real-world environment. TES integration will allow for the demonstration of nuclear power’s capability to participate in grid load following without reactor cycling, process heat integration, and electrical ancillary market opportunities. The goal of this research is to support both SMR deployment opportunities as well as support LWR retrofit capabilities. In a discussion limited to load following or energy arbitration, “charging” and “discharging” can be simply defined. TES charging refers to time when energy is removed from the nuclear reactor power conversion cycle and directed to be stored in the TES storage medium resulting in less available energy available for grid output. Discharging refers to the process of releasing energy stored in the TES medium and having an increase in grid. This paper quantifies energy storage technologies for use with nuclear reactors.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Gas-cooled Fast Reactor Research and Development Roadmap

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) commissioned the development of technology roadmaps for advanced (non-light water reactor) reactor concepts to help focus research and development funding over the next five years. The roadmaps show the research and development needed to support demonstration of an advanced (non-LWR) concept by 2030, consistent with DOE’s Vision and Strategy for the Development and Deployment of Advanced Reactors. The starting point for the roadmaps is the Technical Readiness Assessment performed as part of an Advanced Test and Demonstration Reactor study released in 2016. The roadmaps were developed based upon a review of technical reports and vendor literature summarizing the technical maturity of each concept and the outstanding research and development needs. Critical path tasks for specific systems were highlighted on the basis of time and resources needed to complete the tasks and the importance of the system to the performance of the reactor concept. The roadmaps are intended to be generic, i.e. not specific to a particular vendor’s design, but features of the General Atomics EM2 were included to provide specific examples to illuminate needed R&D tasks to be conducted in support of demonstration in the 2030-2035 window. This report provides the roadmaps to engineering demonstration for of a Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor with an outlet temperature around 850 C. The selection of tasks and associated timelines rely heavily upon the Generation IV International Forum Technology Roadmaps and more recent information provided by a GFR developer, General Atomics.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Research and Development Roadmaps for Liquid Metal Cooled Fast Reactors – Draft for Public Comment

This report provides the roadmaps for two fast reactor concepts, the Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) and the Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR). The roadmaps are generic, i.e., not specific to a particular vendor’s design, but vendor design information may have been used as a representative of the concept family. The SFR technology is mature enough for commercial demonstration by the early 2030s, and the remaining key activities and R&D needs over the next five years are generally related to the completion of qualification of fuel and structural materials, validation of reactor design codes and methods, and support of the licensing frameworks. The LFR’s technology is instead less-mature and will be at the engineering demonstration stage by the early 2030s. Key LFR technology development activities for the acceleration of the engineering demonstration of the LFR will focus on resolving remaining design challenges and demonstrating the viability of systems and components in the integral system, which will be done in parallel with addressing the gaps shared with SFR technology. As discussed in the Advanced Demonstration and Test Reactor Options Study, the R&D approaches and timelines presented here assume that, for the first module demonstration, vendors would pursue a two-step licensing process based on 10CFR Part 50.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Optimization of Archimedes Screw for Use in Hydroelectric Projects

In 2017, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) made federal funding available to several awardees to investigate and provide innovative technological solutions to reduce capital costs of installed hydroelectric facilities at non-powered dam’s (NPD’s) across the United States, while maintaining a high level of efficiency. Awardees were to develop specific technologies that showed promise of reducing installed capital cost (ICC) by at least 20% over a given baseline and maintain a water-to-wire efficiency of at least 80% at head levels of 50 feet or less and flows of 1000 cubic feet per second (cfs) or less. Canyon Hydro (Canyon) was selected as an awardee for this funding and worked to refine the implementation of the Archimedes screw turbine for use at these site conditions. Canyon and its project partners analyzed several dam inventory datasets to determine the most common head and flow range of current NPD’s in order to best select design conditions for a turbine that would perform successfully at common heads and flows. Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analyses were conducted after site conditions had been selected to optimize the turbine geometry for efficiency. Through this effort we were able to estimate water-to-wire efficiency over a range of flows. Equipment design focused on concepts of modularity and pre-fabricated construction. These methodologies were used where possible to reduce costly on-site construction and shorten deployment timelines. Cost modeling was conducted with input from industry experts in general construction, pre-fabricated concrete construction, and composite fabrication. As a hydroelectric turbine manufacturer of 35 years, Canyon drew upon its own knowledge base in steel fabrication, water-to-wire component specification and ancillary systems to develop the remaining cost matrix for the project. As a result of these efforts, Canyon was able to present findings that indicated a modular Archimedes screw turbine system could be designed that reduced ICC by 23.9% and maintain a maximum water-to-wire efficiency of 82.3%, meeting the goals of the project.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

Biogenic uranium isotope fractionation [Slides]

Presentation Outline: Background and relevance; Project objectives; Tasks and timeline; Current Activities (Task 1: Controlled culture growth, Task 2: Enzymatic reduction of uranium oxides, Task 3: Cellular location of uranium reduction and precipitation); Future work; Achievements

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗