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At least 523 records · Page 29
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Oak Ridge Reservation Meteorological Overview Report, Oak Ridge, TN

This report is purposed to provide a summary of the local climate and data from meteorological (Met) towers and wind profilers at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), the Y-12 National Security Complex Site (Y-12), the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), as well as other federal, state, or local agencies as necessary to support the natural phenomena hazards (NPH) analysis 10-year update required by Department of Energy (DOE)- STD-1020-2016, Natural Phenomena Hazards Analysis and Design Criteria for DOE Facilities. The data from this report will be used to support high wind analyses, precipitation analysis, flood analysis, lightning analysis, and other severe weather phenomena for the ETTP, the ORNL, and Y-12.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Another Set of Python Tools for Visualizing and Manipulating Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Data: Descriptions and Examples

The GP-SANS, Bio-SANS and EQ-SANS instruments at ORNL utilize drtsans for data reduction. drtsans is built on Python, and it can be run using python scripts and Jupyter notebooks. The flexibility afforded by Python makes it possible to incorporate additional actions into the scripts used for data reduction, such as analysis and visualization. Here, a new set of tools for visualizing and manipulating SANS data that can be incorporated into the data reduction scripts for the ORNL SANS instruments, or employed during post–processing, is presented that expands the capabilities of the two previously-released tool sets.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Solidification of REDC Organics For Disposal As Solid Waste

The Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC) generates various liquid organic wastes from processing irradiated targets to recover heavy elements. In the past, these organics were discharged to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) liquid low-level waste (LLLW) system, along with the aqueous waste. Because of a reduction in aqueous LLLW from other ORNL generators and an increase in the radionuclide concentration, particularly 238 Pu, in the REDC organic waste stream, the organics can no longer be discharged to the LLLW system. The plan is to solidify the liquid organic waste for disposal as solid waste. Solidifying the organic liquids using PM-199 Organoclay ® would produce solid waste forms with no free liquid, which should qualify for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Granular Organoclay can be added to the organic waste solutions until there is a dry layer on top of the liquid and then allowed to cure for a few hours to produce a solid wasteform.

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

Optimal Chloride Salt Mixture for a Fusion Blanket

Deuterium-tritium fusion reactors cannot operate for a significant period without a closed tritium fuel cycle, according to a recent National Academies of Sciences (NAS) report on bringing fusion reactors to the US electrical grid. This fact places breeder blankets as one of the foundational systems for self-sustained fusion reactor operation. The typical functional requirements for a breeder blanket system include producing tritium, absorbing kinetic energy, transporting thermal energy, and being environmentally attractive. State-of-the-art research on liquid blankets has converged to primarily focus on (LiF) 2 and BeF 2 (FLiBe) molten salts and a metallic eutectic of lead and lithium (PbLi), but “virtually all of the technologies related to the tritium fuel cycle are at a low technological readiness level”. This work sought to explore optimum blanket configurations as it aligned with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) FY 2023 Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program’s research priority of developing and expanding the current understanding of fusion blanket science and technology. This purpose of this work was to address ORNL research priorities and NAS recommendations by investigating novel liquid blanket materials that could provide self-sustaining operation and draw on experience from research on molten salts used for advanced fission reactors, concentrated solar, and thermal energy storage. The hypothesis when proposing this research was that there could be chloride-based blanket designs that can exceed the tritium breeding ratios of (FLiBe) molten salt blankets while reducing the use of Be (FLiBe), avoiding the generation of HF (FLiBe), and minimizing magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)-perturbed flow fields (PbLi). The fastest and most cost-effective path to deploying liquid fusion breeder blankets could be from maximizing the synergistic technological overlap between fusion, fission, concentrated solar, and thermal energy storage industries.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Heartbeat: Detecting Malware by Periodic Power Signal Injection and Monitoring

Rootkits and other stealthy malware attempt to conceal their presence on a computer by making changes to the host computer’s operating environment. ORNL’s Heartbeat technology detects these changes, and thus the malware itself. Heartbeat operates by directly monitoring the DC power consumption of the computer while a set of operations, the “heartbeat,” is executed periodically. These operations exercise parts of the operating system that are common targets of malware tampering. The power consumption during these heartbeat events is monitored and then compared to a previously learned baseline, with any significant deviation detected and analyzed. This technology has been tested and validated in a laboratory environment, and ORNL is currently seeking a deployment partner to allow for further in-context development and testing of this technology.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Advanced Fuel Cycle Cost Basis Report: Module D1-1: Uranium-based Ceramic LWR Fuel Fabrication (Rev.2)

Cost module on LWR fuel fabrication to accompany the Advanced Fuel Cycle Cost Basis Report. In this update, we are adding detailed life cycle cost data and a calculated, levelized fabrication cost derived from a non-proprietary bottom-up estimate prepared in 1978 by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) (Judkins and Olsen 1978a). In 2018, the 1978 ORNL estimate was escalated by SA&I authors to 2017 USD using factors that represent inflation, escalation above inflation typical of nuclear projects, and the effects of more stringent safety and environmental regulations. In this FY-21 document, the $/kgU results in 2017 USD from the unpublished 2018 interim study (Williams and Ganda 2018) can be escalated to 2020 USD using a factor of 1.052. The literature-based unit cost (or price) data from previous (2004–2017) AFC-CBRs are escalated to 2020 USD using factors from Chapter 8 of the main FY-21 AFC-CBR document. This data, in addition to the results of the updated bottom-up estimate, are used to define the “what-it-takes” (WIT) range for the unit fabrication costs for conventional ceramic UOX light-water reactor (LWR) fuel. This FY-23 document also includes calculated unit costs for accident-tolerant LWR fuels (ATFs) of three different types. Some of these fuels constitute a ceramic pelletized form with fuel meat uranium compounds other than UO2 (a.k.a.,. UOX), thus the change in the title of this module in which the word “UO2” is changed to “Uranium-based Ceramic.”

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

EVSE Characterization, A Next-Gen Profiles Project Report

As part of the U.S. DOE EVs@Scale consortium Next-Generation Profiles project, results and analysis from the characterization of high-power conductive and wireless charging infrastructure are presented. This characterization was conducted over a wide range of DC output current and DC voltage charging for nominal test conditions and off-nominal test conditions. Test plans and procedures were developed to define the test configurations and requirements, measurement parameters, and test procedures used throughout testing. Results from a 2023 study conducted on electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) characterization by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) include one 350 kW capable EVSE using a liquid-cooled combined charging system-1 (CCS-1, North American version) cable and connector and an ORNL-developed 100-kW polyphase wireless charger. Characterization results during nominal operation show the AC-to-DC power transfer efficiency for the 350kW conductive EVSE is 95.1% peak and is >92% when the AC power is at least 50 kW. The power quality of the 350 kW conductive EVSE is also measured during nominal conditions. The power factor is >0.91 for power transfer above 50 kW AC input during nominal conditions with a maximum power factor of 0.975. The AC current harmonics produced by the EVSE as measured at the AC input connection to the EVSE is <25% harmonics for power transfer greater than 50 kW and <10% harmonics for power transfer greater than 180 kW.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Independent Fuel Property Effects of Fuel Volatility on Low Temperature Heat Release and Fuel Autoignition (Final Report)

This Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) project between Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and Shell Global Solutions (Shell) was initiated as part of a Directed Funding Opportunity (DFO) call for proposals from the Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Co-Optima) initiative. Shell had observed that volatile fuels suppress low temperature heat release (LTHR) more than expected based on conventional gasoline autoignition metrics: research octane number (RON) and motor octane number (MON). The role of LTHR contributes to autoignition phenomena for both boosted spark ignition (BSI) and advanced compression ignition (ACI) combustion modes. ACI combustion modes are applicable to large engines in the hard-to-electrify applications such as off-road, rail, and marine. Thus, having a reliable understanding of autoignition phenomena, including being able to accurately account for the effects of fuel volatility, is particularly important as new synthetic and bio-fuel compositions are considered.This CRADA project aimed to test the hypothesis that the decreased LTHR is due to preferential evaporation of multicomponent fuels when using direct injection (DI) fueling technology, creating composition and reactivity stratification. A custom set of fuels was designed and blended to test this hypothesis by Shell, with experimental engine studies at ORNL and engine combustion modeling by ANL. However, the initial experimental findings did not show the expected effect of fuel volatility suppressing LTHR. Instead, the LTHR propensity observed was independent of the fuel volatility. Due to the unexpected experimental result, the remainder of the experimental effort was redirected to study the effect of fuel volatility on emissions under spark-ignited cold-start conditions. However, as with the LTHR experiments, the cold start effort did not show a meaningful effect of fuel volatility on cold start emissions. Meanwhile, improved engine CFD models have been developed for both LTHR and cold start operations for the Shell fuels with different volatilities. While the simulation efforts were not pursued further due to the insignificant effects of fuel volatility as shown in experiments, the models developed can be easily retooled for off-road, rail, and marine applications.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

High Temperature Tensile Testing of Molybdenum Before and After Exposure in Flowing He at 600°C to 1000°C

ORNL supported NorthStar Medical Radioisotope’s accelerator-based concept to produce the medical isotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). The Mo targets are expected to experience in the accelerator temperature ranging from 200°C to 1000°C, and previous studies have demonstrated the embrittlement of Mo targets at room temperature when exposed to impure He at 800 to 1000°C. The goal of this project was to evaluate potential embrittlement at temperature ranging from 600°C to 1000°C for three Mo materials exposed at the same temperatures for 100h in high purity He (O 2 < 5ppm (µl/l)) with a flow rate of ~1m/s. Enriched Mo-100 (aMo) and conventional pressed and sintered Mo (UHP) disks were provided by NorthStar while low carbon arc cast rolled Mo, fabricated at ORNL, was used for comparison. The as fabricated rolled Mo exhibited superior tensile strength due to the alloy very fine grain size with limited ductility except at 1000°C with the elongation at rupture reaching 30%. The UHP Mo disks showed the lowest strength but highest ductility at 20-1000°C with significant strain hardening during tensile testing. The ductility of the aMo material was quite low at all temperatures due to a high density of voids at grain boundaries. Significant embrittlement of the aMo material was observed after exposure at 600°C to 1000°C, most likely because of oxygen diffusion and segregation at grain boundaries. No embrittlement was observed for the UHP Mo material, with excellent elongation at rupture for some of the specimens oxidized in He and tested at 600-1000°C. Significant variation in ductility from one UHP Mo specimen to another was, however, measured, both in the as fabricated and He-oxidized conditions. The rolled Mo was not affected by oxidation in He at 800°C, but a decrease in strength and increase in ductility was observed at 1000°C, likely due to the material recrystallization.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-Power Oak Ridge Converter (ORC) for Extreme Fast Charging Applications

This project report presents a novel power converter system called Oak Ridge Converter (ORC), a patented technology developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for XFC wireless EV charging systems. ORC integrates the grid interface converter (also known as the active front-end rectifier with power factor correction) with the high-frequency inverter stage, promoting size and cost-effective charging technology with reduced infrastructure costs. The integration of the front-end rectifier with the high-frequency inverter truly eliminates one power conversion stage and achieves more than 33% size, weight, volume, and cost reduction on the wireless charging systems. Furthermore, ORC eliminates the primary side direct current (DC) bus bulk capacitors that are usually aluminum electrolytic capacitors and replaces them with very small, cost-effective, highly reliable, and high-temperature operation-capable alternate current (AC) film capacitors. ORC is also applicable to both single-phase and poly-phase couplers. When used with polyphase couplers, ORC further improves the power density of the overall system with higher power density power electronics. Moreover, ORC is inherently bidirectional and allows the system to provide power back to the grid for grid ancillary or grid support services. The ORC, based on a patented ORNL technology, is an excellent approach to resolving the high-power charging problems as described above, which directly converts the 60 hertz (Hz) line frequency into high frequency (i.e., 85 kilohertz (kHz)) to use with a high-frequency isolation transformer or wireless charging coils while eliminating the primary side number of power conversion stages from two to one. The result of the project is a prototype and reference design for a high-power wireless charging system—including power electronics, magnetics, and thermal—serving as a baseline for product development. The proposed system results are demonstrated for 270 kW of output power, with the system's overall efficiency of 92% from the AC grid, achieving less than 3% current total harmonic distortion (THD) and around 0.99 power factor (PF).

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Sister Rod Destructive Examinations (FY23) Appendix C: Rod Internal Pressure, Void Volume, and Gas Transmission Tests

As a part of the DOE NE High Burnup Spent Fuel Data Project, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is performing destructive examinations (DEs) of high burnup (HBU) (>45 GWD/MTU) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) rods from the North Anna Nuclear Power Station operated by Dominion Energy. The SNF rods, called the sister rods or sibling rods, are all HBU and include four different kinds of fuel rod cladding: standard Zircaloy-4 (Zirc-4), low-tin (LT) Zirc-4, ZIRLO, and M5. The DEs are being conducted to obtain a baseline of the HBU rod’s condition before dry storage and are focused on understanding overall SNF rod strength and durability. Both fuel rods and empty cladding will be tested to derive material properties. Although the data generated can be used for multiple purposes, one primary goal for obtaining the postirradiation examination data and the associated measured mechanical properties is to support SNF dry storage licensing and relicensing activities by (1) addressing identified knowledge gaps and (2) enhancing the technical basis for post-storage transportation, handling, and consolidation activities. This appendix documents the status of the ORNL Phase 1 DE activities related to rod internal pressure and void volume measurement techniques, fission gas stack flow measurements applied to selected sister rods, and fission gas release calculations in Phase 1 of the sister rod test program.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Sister Rod Destructive Examinations (FY23) Appendix A: Full-Length Rod Heat Treatments

As a part of DOE NE High Burnup Spent Fuel Data Project, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is performing destructive examinations (DEs) of high burnup (HBU) (>45 GWd/MTU) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) rods from the North Anna Nuclear Power Station operated by Dominion Energy. The SNF rods, called sister rods or sibling rods, are all HBU and include four different kinds of fuel rod cladding: standard Zircaloy-4 (Zirc-4), low-tin Zirc-4, ZIRLO, and M5. The DEs are being conducted to obtain a baseline of the HBU rod’s condition before dry storage and are focused on understanding overall SNF rod strength and durability. Composite fuel and defueled cladding will be tested to derive material properties. Although the data generated can be used for multiple purposes, one primary goal for obtaining the post-irradiation examination data and the associated measured mechanical properties is to support SNF dry storage licensing and relicensing activities by (1) addressing identified knowledge gaps and (2) enhancing the technical basis for post-storage transportation, handling, and subsequent disposition. This report documents the status of the ORNL Phase 1 DE activities related to full-length rod heat treatments (FHT) applied to selected sister rods in Phase 1 of the sister rod test program.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Prioritization of Existing Reactor Materials

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) Program is aiming at the faster incorporation of new materials and manufacturing technologies into complex nuclear-related systems. An integrated approach, combining advanced characterization, high-throughput and accelerated testing, modeling and simulation, including machine learning and artificial intelligence, will be employed. Although 316H (Fe–[16–18]Cr–[10–14]Ni–[2–3]Mo–[0.04–0.1]C) has been identified as a key alloy to be integrated into the AMMT accelerated alloy qualification approach because of its relevance for many current and future nuclear energy reactors, many other alloys could be considered for the advanced fabrication of innovative, high-performance nuclear components. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are collaborating on identifying the most promising alloy candidates relevant for the AMMT Program. A selection criteria matrix was established to evaluate the alloys considering their relative importance and technological readiness levels for nuclear energy applications, with a focus on laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). Because of the broad range of potential candidate alloys, ORNL and INL focused on nickel-based alloys, and ANL and PNNL mainly evaluated iron-based alloys. PNNL previously published material scorecards reports on several key alloys, and this report provides a broader overview of iron- and nickel-based candidate alloys, expending beyond alloys well-known to the nuclear community.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Final CRADA Report – NFE-21-08693

TAE Technologies is developing a magnetic fusion energy concept known as the beam-driven field-reversed configuration (FRC) with the ultimate goal of developing a reactor for commercial electricity production capable of burning aneutronic pB11 fuel. To achieve the high plasma temperatures this requires, auxiliary radiofrequency (RF) heating will likely be needed. High Harmonic Fast Wave (HHFW) heating has been identified as a candidate RF heating scheme to overcome the unique challenges posed to RF heating by the FRC, including the large distance from the plasma edge to the last closed flux surface and a magnetic field profile with strength decreasing from edge to core and reversing sign at a null point inside the plasma. The purpose of this project was to develop the experimental capabilities to test HHFW on TAE’s C-2W device through the design of a phased array antenna and accompanying matching network. The design was performed by ORNL and informed by experiments with a prototype four-strap phased antenna-array that was manufactured and installed on the LArge Plasma Device (LAPD) at UCLA and simulations conducted with the Petra-M code under the purview of a previous INFUSE grant. The ORNL team completed the conceptual design of the antenna and matching network which was then handed off to the TAE Mechanical Design team. The design was then iterated on to ensure changes to the mechanical design did not interfere with the RF performance. This process is now complete, and, with mechanical design in hand, TAE is proceeding with plans for final integration.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Late-Stage Research Development and Demonstration Sub-activities Updates – FY24 Q3

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), in collaboration with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), and the Hummingbird Firm (a specialized consulting firm focused on promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations), has initiated a national initiative known as the Heat Pump (HP) and Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) Field Validation Partnership. This effort involves active participation from numerous critical entities involved in research and market transformation within the field. The ORNL team is responsible for leading Late-Stage Research Development and Demonstration (LSRDD) among the four different topics. The overall outcomes of this project will be: (1) A structured Field Validation Partnership between DOE, the national labs, research, implementation, and market transformation organizations. This will result in unique way to coordinate field validation plans and collect relevant data from around the country into the HP and HPWH Field Validation Database. (2) The Field Validation Partnership will result in a continuous stream of information between DOE and the major industry players in the space of HPs and HPWHs. If desired, DOE could use this information to inform roadmaps related to HP and HPWH market adoption and research going forward. (3) The structure of this Partnership provides a mechanism for sharing lessons learned directly between Late-Stage RD&D, Building Integration Barriers, Regional Market and Policy and Workforce Development efforts. The result will be training content that is well-reviewed by the Partnership which will lead to a workforce that meets the industry’s quality and workforce supply demands. (4) The structure of this Partnership also provides an opportunity for regions to share lessons learned on policy and market transformation with each other through the Market and Policy core Committee. This report includes an update in Late-Stage Research Development and Demonstration.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2024

In-Process Monitoring and Structural Health Monitoring of Large-Scale Additive Manufacturing Using Acoustic Emission Technique

ORNL collaborated with MISTRAS Group, Inc. to investigate acoustic emission (AE) as a structural health monitoring (SHM) method for large-scale additive manufacturing (AM). Large-scale AM is being adapted as method of producing large structures in a short lead time and cost-effective way. With the growing advancement in AM techniques and application, machine monitoring and part qualification is highly needed. There has been leading research focused on the manufacturing, feedstock material but minimum research on the SHM, defect detection, and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) for AM. Scanning large structure using conventional nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques, such as ultrasound or X-ray, and searching for potential defects can be very time consuming, challenging and cost prohibitive. AE is a passive technique that can be used to monitor and locate defect progression in large structure by distributing group of sensors around the part. This project utilized AE technique and system manufactured/designed by MISTRAS Group to monitor large-scale AM equipment (i.e. Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) system located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (ORNL-MDF) and the printed parts it produces. The AE system provided valuable insight on defect development/progression during and post-printing process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Model Guidance to Address Barriers to Combined Heat and Power and Waste Heat to Power

Congress directed that the US Department of Energy (DOE) initiate a review of interconnection rules to identify barriers to interconnection and ways to better integrate combined heat and power (CHP) and waste heat to power (WHP) in the electric grid. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) supports DOE by providing technical assistance for CHP. DOE tasked ORNL with the interconnection review and development of model guidance to enable developers and CHP owners to interconnect more CHP. This report summarizes the work that DOE initiated in response to the congressional request.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-Efficiency Thermoelectric Clothes Dryer (CRADA Final Report)

A typical clothes dryer in the US accounts for 7% of the average residential customer’s electric bill. Nationwide, consumers pay about $\$$9 billion annually for clothes drying. While energy efficiency for most household appliances has improved by a factor of 2 or more in recent decades, today’s clothes dryers perform similarly to units from the 1970s. Dryer efficiency is measured by the combined energy factor (CEF), with today’s units typically drying 3.73 lb of cloth per kWh consumed. An ENERGY STAR qualified unit must achieve 3.93 lb/kWh (for standard size electric units) and dry in less than 80 minutes. ORNL and CRADA partner Samsung Electronics America have developed an efficient prototype clothes dryer that uses thermoelectric heat pumps instead of electric resistance to dry the clothes. The prototype fabricated at ORNL successfully demonstrated in the laboratory a CEF of 6.89 lb/kWh at standard conditions of 75°F and 50% Relative Humidity (RH), exceeding the original project target of 6.0 lb/kWh. Additional trials on the same prototype achieved faster dry time with slightly lower CEF, meeting all requirements for ENERGY STAR product qualification. Deploying dryers with energy factor of 6 nationwide represents a technical potential of 234 TBtu/yr primary energy savings. The modeling and prototype development activities for the thermoelectric clothes dryer under this CRADA are summarized in this final report.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗