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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.

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At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Graphite Licensing (ASME) and Testing (ASTM) Technical Assistance

DOE ART Graphite R&D program is currently involved in developing the structural code for licensing the new High Temperature Reactor (HTR) designs through the ASME Boiler Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC). The basic structural design code for graphite core components has been written, approved, and within the BPVC since 2012. However, several areas within the graphite code remain to be improved, specifically the addition of material property changes resulting from environmental degradation (neutron flux and oxidation). The incorporation of this data, which can significantly affect the graphite components and alter the structural integrity of the core during operation, is proving to be an important activity. How this data will be incorporated within the code and how it will be used for license applications will be critical to a number of HTR applicants in the future. These modifications to the code must take into account the unique irradiation and oxidation response of the wide spectrum of available nuclear graphite grades currently under consideration for HTR applications. Additionally, the ASME BPVC requires material property testing within the expected operational conditions of the HTR core including neutron radiation flux, elevated temperatures, and after chronic/acute oxidation of the graphite components. Currently, no standardized graphite testing methods are approved for these environmental conditions. New American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standardized tests for elevated temperature testing, small sample testing, and testing after oxidation must be developed to support the requirements within the ASME code.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

A risk-informed assessment tool to support review of license amendment requests for spent nuclear fuel dry cask storage systems

We report that while risk-informed safety evaluations are common methodologies used by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), their application in the field of commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) dry storage has received limited attention. For instance, license amendment requests (LARs) for SNF dry cask storage systems (DCSSs) are evaluated according to U.S. NRC standard review plans (SRPs). However, risk-informed LAR review strategies could improve the understanding of critical system modifications, and lead to more predictable, efficient, and consistent LAR review processes. A methodology to develop a risk-informed LAR review tool is presented. Although focused on DCSSs, this methodology can be used to develop similar tools for a broad spectrum of safety-relevant systems. The end product (i.e., the tool) includes a tree diagram to help visualize the review risk significances assigned to a predefined set of system modifications and supporting rationale documentation. Instructions support correct tool application and provide the user with a path to incorporate currently unevaluated modifications in the tool structure. The demonstration of the methodology leads to the conclusion that risk-informed reviews of DCSS LARs are possible, although the tool precision could benefit from additional risk information. Further, the results indicate that many typical LARs involve low-risk or medium-risk modifications.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2026

Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Licensing and Permitting [Slides]

This presentation provides an overview of the licensing, permitting, and regulatory frameworks governing Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across multiple international contexts. It outlines foundational permitting considerations - including safety standards, siting requirements, regulatory and environmental obligations, and interconnection processes - alongside typical pathways for installation, approval, and inspection. The presentation summarizes key technical standards such as NFPA 855 and IEEE guidelines, and emphasizes best practices for safe and effective deployment. A series of detailed case studies from South Africa, Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic illustrates how different countries structure approval authority, evaluate environmental impacts, and integrate BESS into national grid systems. The deck concludes with insights on emerging challenges, including evolving regulatory frameworks, financial viability, and the need for pricing mechanisms that accurately value storage services.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Regulatory Treatment of Low Frequency External Events under a Risk-Informed Performance-Based Licensing Pathway: Enhanced SPRA-based Margins Assessment

Recently there has been development in the field of risk-informed performance-based (RIPB) design and licensing approaches, which leverage detailed risk assessments and performance-based metrics to allow flexibility and innovation. These RIPB approaches include the probabilistic treatment of external hazards, including low frequency events that are beyond the design basis. However, there are certain challenges that have been identified to the probabilistic treatment of low frequency external events, primarily due to uncertainty in the hazard curve and the associated plant response to rare, severe events. The NRC is currently developing 10 CFR Part 53 that would establish a technology-inclusive regulatory framework for use by applicants for new commercial advanced nuclear reactors. By examining the regulatory safety criteria contained within draft 10 CFR Part 53 and associated draft RIPB seismic design guidance, potential challenges were identified in demonstrating satisfaction of the safety criteria for low frequency external events, with specific difficulties associated with demonstrating compliance with the quantitative health objectives (QHOs). Non-LWRs are expected to utilize the direct calculation of offsite consequence, rather than use surrogates, for comparison to the QHOs, which can be particularly challenging as the previously identified uncertainties are compounded by uncertainties in the response of the neighboring population. The central recommendation from this effort is that it is necessary to develop an approach for demonstrating compliance with the safety criteria in draft Part 53 that addresses the key challenges while providing flexibility to applicants. This paper summarizes key findings, establishes a series of high-level goals, and reviews a newly developed approach to address the major challenges associated with assessing compliance with QHOs, with avenues to demonstrate compliance based on either the estimated consequence or the available margin to event occurrence, while also building on existing experience of seismic margins assessments. The paper also provides examples to demonstrate the application of the approach, as well as recommendations and potential future work.

external hazards↗
DOE OSTI2021

SFR Safety Experiments in Support of PGSFR Licensing (Final CRADA Report)

Argonne National Laboratory and Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute entered into this CRADA to perform safety experiments and assessment of experimental results in the area of the metal fuel behavior in severe accident conditions to support the Prototype Generation-IV Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (PGSFR) licensing process. The goal was to utilize the existing sodium facilities at ANL to perform experiments aimed at providing validation data associated with the source term determination and metal fuel characteristics which enables subcriticality and coolable geometry in postulated severe accident scenarios.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Summary of Methodology for Mitigating Risks Associated with Licensing and Qualifying AM Nuclear Materials

The US Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) program focuses on accelerating the development, qualification, demonstration, and deployment of advanced materials and manufacturing technologies to enable reliable and economical nuclear energy. Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is one of the most popular additive manufacturing (AM) processes for fabricating components with intrinsically complex geometries. LPBF was extensively explored for nuclear applications under the previous Transformational Challenge Reactor program. Additionally, Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed and licensed the Peregrine software and larger digital platform that couples machine learning and in situ data collection during AM to detect anomalies and any evolved defects. The digital platform will be critical to (1) the qualification of AM components for nuclear applications that link location-specific data to macroscopic properties and (2) predict final component performance. Current in situ process monitoring tools are valuable for observing the formation of stochastic flaws, but additional data are needed to predict the resulting microstructures and associated material performance. Rapid cooling rates and large thermal gradients have caused large heterogeneities in the microstructure, which cause anisotropy in mechanical performance. The AMMT program is evaluating the best approaches for addressing these heterogeneities and their effect on component performance using a combination of multiscale modeling, enhanced in situ process monitoring, and high throughput experimental testing. This report summarizes strategies for mitigating the risks associated with qualifying AM components, including developing new sensing capabilities for in situ process monitoring and characterizing melt pool solidification and residual stresses to inform multiscale modeling efforts.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Qualification of SAS4A/SASSYS-1 for Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor Authorization and Licensing (Final CRADA Report)

This project focuses on assessment and qualification of the SAS4A/SASSYS-1 advanced reactor safety analysis code and its capacity to fulfill requirements associated with license/authorization of a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). Specific objectives of this proposal include: development of a formal documentation requirements matrix that complies with a vendor’s NQA-1 program to identify needs for qualification documentation; completion of software methods qualification gap analysis to identify and close gaps in the verification and validation basis of the software; generation of an Acceptance Test Report to confirm compliance with the software requirements specification; and closure of gaps in Software Design Description (SDD) to assist with the eventual generation of a Modeling Licensing Topic Report (LTR).

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Regulatory Treatment of Low Frequency External Events under a Risk-Informed Performance-Based Licensing Pathway: Safety Criteria Evaluation

There has been recent progress in the development of risk-informed performance-based (RIPB) design and licensing approaches, which leverage the insights gained from detailed risk assessments and utilize performance-based metrics to permit flexibility and innovation. The RIPB approaches have included the probabilistic treatment of external hazards, including low frequency events that are beyond the design basis. A preceding study conducted in FY21 noted that there are certain challenges to the probabilistic treatment of low frequency external events, which are primarily the result of uncertainty in the hazard curve and the associated plant response to rare, severe events. The current work expands on the previous study by examining the regulatory safety criteria contained within draft 10 CFR Part 53 and associated draft RIPB seismic design guidance. The evaluation identified potential challenges in demonstrating satisfaction of the safety criteria for low frequency external events, with specific difficulties associated with demonstrating compliance with cumulative safety criteria metrics, such as the quantitative health objectives (QHOs). Non-LWRs are expected to utilize the direct calculation of offsite consequence, rather than use surrogates, for comparison to the QHOs, which can be particularly challenging as the previously identified uncertainties are compounded by uncertainties in the response of the neighboring population. The current work details this evaluation and key findings. The central recommendation from this effort is that it is necessary to develop an approach for demonstrating compliance with the safety criteria in draft Part 53 that addresses the key challenges while providing flexibility to applicants.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Design and License Application Development for TRISO-X (Final Scientific Technical Report)

This is the final progress report submitted by X-energy, LLC (XE) to the Department of Energy in support of cooperative agreement DE-NE0008745. This report provides a high-level summary of the work performed during the entire period of performance, running from August 24, 2018 – August 22, 2022. This span of time covers the original 3-year award and a one year no-cost extension. There were five tasks within this project: (1) project management, (2) systems engineering and studies, (3) TRISO-X Facility design, (4) facility license application development, and (5) support to application review. Detailed reporting during execution of the project was provided by a total of 16 quarterly reports, voluntary monthly update presentations, and annual summary presentations. Technical work products include 103 X-energy technical reports, 38 subcontractor (Centrus technical reports), 75 Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluations/Calculation reports, and 272 miscellaneous design documents (e.g., Engineering Service Orders, Engineering Component Specifications, Procedures, Guidelines/Policies, Design and Interface Requirements documents, and Drawings). All 29 of the X Energy milestones/deliverables were met early or on time and are archived in the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy’s Program Information Control System: Nuclear Energy under Fiscal Year 2018, Work Breakdown Structure F.OA – Industry FOA FY 2018 Awards, F.03 – X-Energy TRISO-X Project. All other work products are available to DOE upon request.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Development of a Regulatory Strategy for Post Operational Clean Out Activities at Sellafield Limited Nuclear Licensed Site - 20273

The Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) at the Sellafield nuclear licensed site carried out its final commercial shear of spent nuclear fuel in November 2018, since when the facility has undergone rundown prior to cessation of operations. The Magnox Reprocessing Facility (MRF) is also due to cease operating, around the end of 2020. Following the cessation of spent fuel reprocessing, the facilities and supporting infrastructure will transition into Post Operational Clean Out (POCO), which will become an increasingly significant portion of Sellafield Limited's (SL) activities. POCO is defined as the set of activities undertaken directly after a nuclear facility comes to the end of its operational life, in order to place the plant in a suitable state for the subsequent decommissioning steps. The decommissioning strategy at SL is for deferred dismantling of these facilities, which will be subject to a period of Surveillance and Maintenance (S and M) following completion of POCO. This paper outlines the development and implementation of a regulatory strategy for POCO activities at the Sellafield site by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the independent nuclear safety, transport and security regulator in the United Kingdom. The paper also describes how this regulatory strategy is applied to nuclear installations undergoing transition into POCO and subsequent decommissioning. ONR works jointly with the Environment Agency, as the environmental regulators in England, to ensure that matters relevant to them have been duly considered. In developing a regulatory strategy, ONR has taken a site-wide approach, moving away from regulation on a facility-by-facility basis, to promote consistency, as well as maximising efficiency and effectiveness. The aim of this integrated approach was to prevent complications during future decommissioning and dismantling that have been experienced previously at similar facilities in France. The strategy recognised that once reprocessing operations are concluded, the hazard present will be reduced significantly, which provides the opportunity for ONR to consider how best to deliver a proportionate approach to regulatory interventions. Once POCO has been completed and the facility has transitioned into a period of S and M, the scale and frequency of ONR's interventions will reduce, commensurate with the safety case covering the remaining hazard and activities associated with maintaining the facility prior to final decommissioning. This approach allows ONR to consider risks holistically, considering the full life cycle of the facility and by taking due account of the interdependencies between facilities across the site. The strategy also aligns with existing regulation of high hazard and risk reduction activities, which remain ONR's top priority. As SL progresses with POCO activities in THORP and across the rest of the site, ONR will review its regulatory strategy to ensure that the intended safety benefits are realised. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Modernization of Technical Requirements for Licensing of Advanced Non-Light Water Reactors: LMP Lessons Learned, Best Practices, and Frequently Asked Questions

This report captures lessons learned, best practices, and frequently asked questions with responses gleaned from the experiences of early adopters of the LMP RIPB process. Interviews were conducted in late 2019 with five non-LWR design organizations to gather their feedback on the application of the LMP RIPB process under real production conditions. The overall feedback from the reactor developers is that the LMP RIPB process can be successfully implemented with material benefits to the designer. As with any new processes, numerous challenges and questions were relayed by the designers. These challenges have been translated into lessons learned and best practices. Those two sections address both technical and organizational aspects of implementing the LMP RIPB process. Questions that were asked by multiple designers were turned into “frequently asked questions” and responses were provided by the LMP team.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Modernization of Technical Requirements for Licensing of Advanced Non-Light Water Reactors (Final Project Report)

Advanced (i.e., non-light-water) reactor technologies offer developers new opportunities to enhance the reliability, efficiency, and safety of nuclear power reactors through changes in fundamental design and operation. A variety of advanced design concepts are being developed that generally trend toward increased reliance on innovative, inherent, and passive safety features. Many of these features are substantially different from components now found in large light water reactors (LWRs) that dominate the commercial operating fleet. Similarly, non-light water reactor (non-LWR) suppliers are also pursuing market niches quite different from the regional baseload power generation sites typically associated with large LWR facilities.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Comparison of atmospheric radionuclide dispersion models for a risk-informed consequence-driven advanced reactor licensing framework

Current nuclear facility emergency planning zones (EPZs) are based on outdated distance-based criteria, predating comprehensive dose and risk-informed frameworks. Recent advancements in simulation tools have permitted the development of site-specific, dose, and risk-based consequence-driven assessment frameworks. This study investigated the computation of advanced reactor (AR) EPZs using two atmospheric dispersion models: a straight-line Gaussian plume model (GPM) and a semi-Lagrangian Particle in Cell (PIC). Two case studies were conducted: (1) benchmarking the NRC SOARCA study for the Peach Bottom Nuclear Generating Station and (2) analyzing an advanced INL Heat Pipe Design A microreactor's end-of-cycle inventory. The dose criteria for both cases were 10 mSv at mean weather conditions and 50 mSv at 95th percentile weather conditions at 96 h post-release. Results demonstrated that GPM and PIC estimated similar mean peak dose levels for large boiling water reactors in the farfield case, placing EPZ limits beyond current regulations. For ARs with source terms remaining in the nearfield, PIC modeling without specific nearfield considerations could result in excessively high doses and inaccurate EPZ designations. PIC dispersion demonstrated an order of magnitude higher estimate of nearfield inhalation dose contribution when compared to GPM results. Furthermore, both models significantly reduced EPZ sizing within the nearfield. Thus, reductions in the AR source term may eliminate the need for a separate EPZ.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗