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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Development of a water source heat pump hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing facility for smart building applications

Over the last decade, the global fight against climate change through electrification has led to an increase in research on building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that utilize intelligent control algorithms to provide demand-side grid service while maintaining the thermal comfort of building occupants. As the pivotalpoint between building electricity consumption and indoor thermal comfort, high-efficiency electrical heatpumps are at the center of these emerging studies, and various grid-interactive and occupant-comfort control algorithms have been developed for them. The impact of these algorithms on the heatpump operation andperformance under different weather, building load, and grid requests calls for investigation and verification via experimental tests with actual heat pumps integrated with real-time building and grid responses. This study presents a Water-Source Heat Pump Hardware-in-The-Loop (HIL) Test Facility developed with the capability to perform such tests. The hardware configuration for this testfacility introduces a hydronic system that emulates the conditions for the heat pump water-side, and a duct system that emulates conditions for the heat pump airside. Both data acquisition and emulator control are implemented through the National Instruments (NI) LabVIEW software running on an NI PXIplatform. The HIL mechanism based on the hardware-software integration that allows the testbed to communicate with a generic simulation environment is also discussed. Currently, the test facility setup includes a single heatpump and virtual building model in EnergyPlus coupled with an occupant behavioral model in MATLAB. Preliminary test results of the current setup demonstrate the building load emulator's ability to track the simulated gone temperature with a Root Mean Square Deviation (RSME) below 0.12°C (0.216°F). An uncertainty analysis based on sensor accuracies shows that the heat pump coefficient of performance (COP) can be measured with a relative uncertainty of 10.4% in cooling and 3.7% in heating. Apartfrom the current testing on a single heat pump, the test facility also provides the flexibility to include additional heat pumps to form a heat pump cluster, as well as coupling the heat pump with active thermal storage to provide enhanced demandflexibility.

Calfa, Caleb↗
DOE OSTI2023

Non-Nuclear Test Facility Development to Support Verification and Validation Needs

This study focuses on developing a non-nuclear test facility to help meet the verification and validation (V&V) requirements of a water-cooled small modular reactor (SMR) system. The scaling analysis necessary for reactor system experimentation and assessment model V&V considers various reactor system accident scenarios such as main steam line break (MSLB), steam generator tube rupture (SGTR), and containment condensation and heat transfer. The goal is to identify key physics based phenomena of interest (POI), specific figures of merit (FOMs), and the state of knowledge (SOK) by employing phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT) studies. Important physics phenomena such as heat transfer, fluid dynamics, structural integrity, and material selection must be addressed when scaling a thermal-hydraulics system. Alongside these considerations, modifications to the facility may be needed to align the scaled system with the available footprint (height and space) of the facility. These modifications may include infrastructure upgrades, changes to the piping layout, implementation of safety measures, and installation of new instrumentation and control systems. The test facility aims to provide a scaled-down version of prototypic facilities for comprehensive V&V activities by overcoming these challenges and making the necessary modifications. This approach minimizes scaling distortion, simulates prototypic plant conditions, and accurately models accident event progressions. Thus, the facility will be capable of adequately modeling a scaled SMR system to support the design, development and licensing needs.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

RELAP5-3D validation studies based on the High Temperature Test facility

In the spring and summer of 2019, experiments were conducted at the High Temperature Test Facility (HTTF) that form the basis of an upcoming high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) thermal hydraulics (T/H) benchmark. HTTF is an integral effects test facility for HTGR T/H modeling validation. This paper presents RELAP5-3D models of two of those experiments: PG-27, a pressurized conduction cooldown (PCC); and PG-29, a depressurized conduction cooldown (DCC). These models used the RELAP5-3D model of HTTF originally developed by Paul Bayless as a starting point. The sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification code, RAVEN was used to perform calibration studies for the steady-state portion of PG-27. Here we developed four PG-27 calibrations based on steady-state conditions. These calibrations all used an effective thermal conductivity equal to 36 % of the measured thermal conductivity, but they differed with respect to the frictional pressure drops and radial conduction models. These models all captured the trends in steady-state temperature distributions and transient temperature behavior well. All four calibrations show room for improvement in predicting the transient temperature rise. The smallest error in temperature rise during the transient was a 21 % underprediction, and the largest was a 48 % underprediction. The errors in transient temperature rise are largely a result of a mismatch in power density between the RELAP5-3D model and the experiment due to the location of active heater rods along the boundary between heat structures in the model. The best of these calibrations was applied to PG-29 to model the DCC. Once again, temperatures during the transient were underpredicted but trends in temperature were captured. The RELAP5-3D model captured trends in the data but could not reproduce measured temperatures exactly. This result is not attributed to deficiencies in the experimental data or to RELAP5–3D itself. Rather, this result likely arises due to the some of the assumptions and decisions made when the RELAP5-3D model was first developed, prior to the execution of HTTF experiments. An agreement in prediction of temperature trends but challenges reproducing HTTF temperatures within measurement uncertainty is consistent with previous analyses of HTTF in the literature. Future RELAP5-3D validation activities centered around HTTF may be able to provide greater insight into the code’s capabilities for HTGR modeling with a more finely nodalized model.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Case study on the novel permitting and authorization of PacWave South, a US grid-connected wave energy test facility: Development, challenges, and insights

Marine energy (i.e., energy from waves, tides, currents, and rivers) in the United States is a nascent industry. In particular, permitting processes—an uncertainty for industry advancement that can be costly and time consuming to navigate—have rarely been tested and used for marine energy. The novelty of the marine energy industry and utilization of open ocean permitting processes that were not originally developed for marine energy have led to extensive efforts to gain consensus amongst state and federal regulatory agencies to authorize marine energy projects. In 2021, Oregon State University successfully completed permitting of a wave energy test facility, called PacWave South, off the coast of Oregon, which is designed to advance wave energy research and development. This article documents the multi-year process that Oregon State University used to receive federal and state authorization for a pre-permitted commercial-scale grid connected facility by detailing the development of the test facility, management of uncertainty and challenges, and key decisions. The PacWave South case study provides insights for the larger marine energy community as the industry advances towards commercialization.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cryogenic and safety design of the future high field cable test facility at Fermilab

The HFVMTF (High Field Vertical Magnet Test Facility) is a new experimental facility under development at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) to test large superconducting magnets (up to 20 tons weight and 1.3 m diameter) in a double bath superfluid helium cryostat (1.9 K and 1.2 bar). Coupled with a superconducting dipole magnet fabricated by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), this facility will be able to test future high-temperature superconductor (HTS) cables under a background magnetic field of 15 T for fusion magnets. This paper describes the design of the cryostat and its 1.4-meter diameter lambda plate, as well as the different components for a safe operation of the facility, even during critical events such a magnet quench or a vacuum breaking situation. The project is funded by US DOE Offices of Science, High Energy Physics (HEP), and Fusion Energy Sciences (FES).

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

ALLOY SELECTION AND C-276 CODE DESIGN VALUE EXTENSION FOR ADVANCED MOLTEN SALT TECHNOLOGY TEST FACILITIES EXPERIMENTATION

Molten halide salts are being considered as working fluids for nuclear and concentrated solar power applications. High temperature molten fluoride and chloride salts are known to preferentially attack and deplete Cr in alloys, which leads to the use of high-Ni lower-Cr alloys in test facilities for advanced Molten Salt Technology. Alloys 600 and C-276 are two commercially available Ni alloys that have moderate Cr contents and are qualified to the maximum temperature of 649°C and 677°C (1,200°F and 1,251°F), respectively, in the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. Both alloys have good corrosion resistance to acids, are resistant to stress-corrosion cracking, and have long track records of use in the chemical industry. Comparatively, Alloy C-276 has a similar Cr content but much higher allowable stresses for temperatures greater than 600°C (1,112°F). Therefore, it has been considered as a structural material for test facilities that require operations at 700°C (1,292°F) or greater to develop high-temperature Molten Salt Technology. To meet the requirements, the current code design values were extended based on some experimental data. Analysis showed that above current Codified maximum temperature, strength of the alloy is mainly controlled by creep rupture life under the average stress, although the Sc creep rate criterion is close to the Favg.Savg rupture criterion. This paper presents the intended test facilities and the design requirements, alloy selection considerations, literature review, data analysis, and proposed allowable stress extension based on some creep test data for C-276 at temperatures greater than 677°C (1,251°F). Further research activities are also briefly mentioned.

Ren, Weiju↗
DOE OSTI2021

Comparative study with two reduced test facilities for air-cooled RCCS scaling law

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) conducted steady-state tests at constant heat flux conditions to investigate the scale effect on heat removal behavior of the air-cooled Reactor Cavity Cooling System (RCCS). Two differently scaled-down test facilities were used in this study, KAERI’s ¼ scale with 4.0-m cavity height, and ANL’s ½ scale with 6.8-m cavity height. Two scaling laws were proposed to simulate the radiation across the cavity and the buoyancy-driven duct flow in the riser, respectively. The test matrix for KAERI and ANL test facilities focused on the scaling effect of the heated riser length with constant heat flux at the PMR200 RCCS design. The test results showed that mixed convection in the riser duct is an important factor for accurately extrapolating the thermo-fluid behavior in the prototype from the test results in the scale-down facilities. The system analysis code, GAMMA+, with improved heat transfer models predicted fairly well the air-cooled RCCS test data from two facilities. GAMMA+ analysis results showed that the predicted radiation fractions on the heated plate in the scale-down test conditions were larger than those on the reactor vessel in the prototype. The scaling law for air-cooled RCCS was improved by considering the mixed convection in the riser duct and the same radiation fraction on the heated plate. The mixed convection effect was calculated by the height ratio. The same radiation fraction provided a conservative extrapolation from the scale-down test results.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Benchmark Specification for Select Experiments Conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Thermal Stratification Test Facility

The Department of Energy (DOE)-Nuclear Energy University Programs (NEUP) supported the creation and operation of the Thermal Stratification Test Facility (TSTF) at the University of Wisconsin Madison (UWM) as part of a larger effort to understand thermal stratification behavior in liquid-metal-cooled reactors. The TSTF was designed to simulate transients in a reactor plenum that are known to cause thermal stratification. High-reliability and high-resolution measurements of the flow and temperature were collected for use as experimental benchmarks to support validation efforts for computational models. The results of these tests contribute to the greater understanding of thermal stratification behavior of liquid sodium under various configurations and operating conditions. The six TSTF tests selected for benchmarking are a set of forced circulation tests at a fixed flow rate with different Upper Internal Structure (UIS) configurations in the test section (no UIS, solid UIS, and a UIS with flow area of 4, 8, 12, and 100%). This report provides a complete description of the benchmark problems, including all key test facility details, descriptions of each test condition, and measured data for comparison with modeled results.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Tracer gas test in Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility

The Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility (NZERTF) at NIST was built in 2012 to support the development and adoption of cost-effective net-zero energy designs, technologies, and construction methods. It is two-story, and has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an open living room, dining room, and kitchen space. The NZERTF also has a basement and attic, both located within the conditioned space because the thermal and air-moisture barriers encompass the basement walls and attic roof. Transfer grilles link the living spaces to these two zones. The central heating and cooling system includes an air-toair heat pump, which delivers air to the basement, first and second floors. The heat pump has a cooling capacity of 7.6 kW and a heating capacity of 7.8 kW. The indoor unit is in the basement and ductwork runs along the basement ceiling. A balanced heat recovery ventilator (HRV) is installed in the basement and has its own dedicated ductwork. The HRV supplies 47 L/s of outdoor air to the house, with supplies on the first floor (in the kitchen/dining area) and in each of the three second-floor bedrooms. Air from the first-floor bathroom and both second-floor bathrooms is returned to the HRV before being exhausted, though the HRV was turned off during the tests. The house also has a range hood exhaust and a clothes dryer exhaust, both of which were turned off for the tests. The temperature of the house was measured and the operation of the space conditioning system, including its recirculating air distribution fan, were controlled by a commercially available thermostat.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

Design of the cryostat for High Field Vertical Magnet Testing Facility at Fermilab

High Field Vertical Magnet Test Facility (HFVMTF) is a joint project between the Office of High Energy Physics (HEP) and the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES). Its construction is currently under way at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). As a part of the project a new double bath superfluid helium cryostat has been designed. The cryostat can accommodate magnets with up to 20 tonne weight and 1.3 m diameter. This paper discusses challenges and solutions for cryostat, lambda plate and heat exchanger design, and presents results of performance analysis.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Design of a Test Article and Test Facility to Investigate Flow-Induced Vibration of a Helical Coil Steam Generator

NuScale Power LLC (NuScale) is developing a small modular reactor (SMR) with unique design features and arrangements that require testing to provide quality data for safety analysis codes and design validation, as well as for technology maturation. A multi-phase testing program is underway at NuScale to demonstrate that its unique helical coil steam generator design is not susceptible to flow-induced vibration during operation. The phases of the testing program include modal testing of individual tubes during test article fabrication and modal and flow testing after test article completion. NuScale has contracted SIET S.p.A. in Piacenza, Italy for the design and fabrication of the test article and test facility. In-fabrication testing was performed at the site of test article build in Cremosano, Italy. Modal testing and flow testing of the completed test article will be performed at SIET’s facilities in Piacenza. This paper discusses the design of the test article and test facility, including supporting systems, required to generate the quality data required to support NuScale’s comprehensive vibration assessment program as part of the overall licensing effort for NuScale’s first-of-a-kind small modular light water reactor.

Flow-induced vibration, helical coil, steam genera↗
DOE OSTI2024

Development of an Improved RELAP5-3D Model for the High Temperature Test Facility

High-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) are rapidly approaching deployment. Confidence in transient analysis of these systems requires modeling and simulation tools that have been validated against data relevant to HTGR conditions. The High Temperature Test Facility (HTTF) is an integral effects thermal hydraulics test facility for prismatic HTGRs. In spring and summer of 2019, HTTF was used for a series of experiments that now serve as the basis for the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development / Nuclear Energy Agency Thermal Hydraulic Code Validation Benchmark for High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors using HTTF Data (HTGR T/H Benchmark). Previous analyses as part of the HTGR T/H benchmark used a RELAP5-3D model developed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and demonstrated an ability to reproduce trends in the measured data but difficulties reproducing experimental values within their uncertainty. These difficulties were largely attributed to assumptions made during the development of the initial RELAP5-3D model, which predated the HTTF experiments. A significant cause of difficulty reproducing the measured temperatures may be the radial nodalization of the previous RELAP5-3D model. In this paper, we present a new RELAP5-3D model of HTTF with finer radial nodalization built to assess the impact of radial heat transfer. We describe the new model and compare it against the old one at full-power steady state and for the pressurized conduction cooldown (PCC) transient. These analyses are based on the code-to-code comparison exercise for the PCC problem of the HTGR T/H benchmark. We compare maximum block temperature as the primary figure of merit and include discussion on intracore natural circulation.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

FNAL test facility

Report on the status of superconducting magnet test facility at Fermilab.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Development of an Improved RELAP5-3D Model for the High Temperature Test Facility

High-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) are rapidly approaching deployment. Confidence in transient analysis of these systems for design, optimization, and licensing calculations requires modeling and simulation tools that have been validated against data relevant to HTGR conditions. The High Temperature Test Facility (HTTF) is an integral effects thermal hydraulics test facility for prismatic HTGRs. In spring and summer of 2019, HTTF was used for a series of experiments that now serve as the basis for the OECD/NEA Thermal Hydraulic Code Validation Benchmark for High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors using HTTF Data (HTGR T/H Benchmark). This benchmark contains problems for systems code, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and coupled systems code/CFD modeling representing lower plenum mixing and both the depressurized and pressurized conduction cooldown (DCC and PCC respectively) transients. Benchmark problems include exercises for code-to-code and code-to-data comparisons as well as an exercise for error scaling between HTTF and the Modular High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor, which serves as the basis for the HTTF design. Previous analysis as part of the HTGR T/H benchmark used a RELAP5-3D model developed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and demonstrated an ability to reproduce trends in the measured data but difficulties reproducing experimental values within their uncertainty. These difficulties were largely attributed to assumptions made during the development of the initial RELAP5-3D model, which predated the HTTF experiments. A significant cause of difficulty reproducing the measured temperatures may be the radial nodalization of the previous RELAP5-3D model. The new model provides a finer nodalization to assess the impact of radial nodalization and allows for asymmetric heating within the core, which was a feature of multiple HTTF experiments. In this paper, we present the new RELAP5-3D model of HTTF. In addition to describing the new model, this paper compares the new and old models and provides results for a full-power steady state, a DCC, and a PCC in HTTF. These analyses are based on the code-to-code comparison exercises for the DCC and PCC problems of the HTGR T/H benchmark. We present the results of these exercises from the new model and compare them to the results of the old model.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Design and commissioning of an e-beam irradiation beamline at the Upgraded Injector Test Facility at Jefferson Lab

We report the Upgraded Injector Test Facility (UITF) at Jefferson Lab is a continuous-wave superconducting linear accelerator capable of providing an electron beam with energy up to 10 MeV. A beamline for electron-beam irradiation has been designed, installed and successfully commissioned at this facility, aimed at the degradation study of 1,4-dioxane and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wastewater treatment. A solenoid with a peak axial magnetic field of up to 0.28 T and a set of raster coils were used to obtain a Gaussian beam profile with a transverse standard deviation of ~ 15.0 mm at the target location. Monte-Carlo simulations using FLUKA were carried out to calculate the total absorbed dose and the dose distribution in the sample volume inside the target cell. The simulations were benchmarked experimentally by dosimetry mapping using optichromic dosimeters. The results of the irradiation experiments showed a ~ 95% reduction of 1,4-dioxane in ultra-pure water for a dose of 1 kGy, demonstrating the potential of electron-beam irradiation towards addressing growing challenges in environmental remediation.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Current Status of the High Field Cable Test Facility at Fermilab

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) are collaborating to construct a new High Field Vertical Magnet Test Facility (HFVMTF) designed for testing superconducting cables in high magnetic fields. This state-of-the-art facility will be situated at Fermilab and will provide capabilities comparable to EDIPO at PSI and FRESCA2 at CERN. The HFVMTF’s background magnetic field, reaching 15 T, will be generated by a magnet supplied by LBNL. The HFVMTF is a collaborative effort supported by the US DOE Offices of Science, High Energy Physics, and Fusion Energy Sciences. It will serve as a vital testbed for superconducting HTS cables, subjecting them to high magnetic fields and a wide range of temperatures, benefiting both scientific communities. Additionally, this facility will play a key role in testing high-field superconducting magnet models and demonstrators, including hybrid magnets, developed by the US Magnet Development Pro gram (MDP). These hybrid magnets, utilizing both LTS and HTS superconductors, are significant advancements toward achieving 18+ T dipoles for future hadron-hadron colliders. The presentation outlines the current status of the facility, covering aspects such as construction progress, cryostat designs, top and lambda plates, and systems for powering, quench protection, and monitoring.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Measurement and modeling of beam transport in the FODO line of the Spallation Neutron Source Beam Test Facility

Ongoing studies at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) Beam Test Facility (BTF) seek to understand and model bunch dynamics in a high-power LINAC front-end. The BTF has recently been upgraded with a reconfiguration from a U-shaped line to a Straight line. We report the current state of model benchmarking, with a focus on RMS beam sizes within the FODO line. The beam measurement is obtained via three camera/screen pairs in the FODO line. This presentation discusses the methodology and results of this measurement.

Thompson, Trent↗
DOE OSTI2022

Modeling of the High Temperature Test Facility PG-26 Transient Using RELAP-7

The High Temperature Test Facility (HTTF) is an electrically heated, helium cooled, experimental facility located at Oregon State University (OSU). Modeling of the HTTF PG-26 transient using a multi-app approach utilizing MOOSE and RELAP-7 was conducted. A 3-D model of the HTTF core, reflector, core barrel, and RPV was generated, and 3-D heat conduction throughout the structure was coupled to 1-D fluid flow results from RELAP-7. The model was able to accurately predict peak ceramic core temperatures experienced during the transient which helps validate the capability of RELAP-7 to model advanced gas-cooled nuclear reactors.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗