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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 559 records · Page 31
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Status update of the BWR cask simulator

The performance of commercial nuclear spent fuel dry storage casks are typically evaluated through detailed numerical analysis of the system's thermal performance. These modeling efforts are performed by the vendor to demonstrate the performance and regulatory compliance and are independently verified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Carefully measured data sets generated from testing of full sized casks or smaller cask analogs are widely recognized as vital for validating these models. Numerous studies have been previously conducted. Recent advances in dry storage cask designs have moved the storage location from above ground to below ground and significantly increased the maximum thermal load allowed in a cask in part by increasing the canister helium pressure. Previous cask performance validation testing did not capture these parameters. The purpose of the investigation described in this report is to produce a data set that can be used to test the validity of the assumptions associated with the calculations presently used to determine steady-state cladding temperatures in modern dry casks. These modern cask designs utilize elevated helium pressure in the sealed canister or are intended for subsurface storage. The BWR cask simulator (BCS) has been designed in detail for both the above ground and below ground venting configurations. The pressure vessel representing the canister has been designed, fabricated, and pressure tested for a maximum allowable pressure (MAWP) rating of 24 bar at 400 C. An existing electrically heated but otherwise prototypic BWR Incoloy-clad test assembly is being deployed inside of a representative storage basket and cylindrical pressure vessel that represents the canister. The symmetric single assembly geometry with well-controlled boundary conditions simplifies interpretation of results. Various configurations of outer concentric ducting will be used to mimic conditions for above and below ground storage configurations of vertical, dry cask systems with canisters. Radial and axial temperature profiles will be measured for a wide range of decay power and helium cask pressures. Of particular interest is the evaluation of the effect of increased helium pressure on heat load and the effect of simulated wind on a simplified below ground vent configuration.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2014

Wide-angle ITER-prototype tangential infrared and visible viewing system for DIII-D

An imaging system with a wide-angle tangential view of the full poloidal cross-section of the tokamak in simultaneous infrared and visible light has been installed on DIII-D. The optical train includes three polished stainless steel mirrors in vacuum, which view the tokamak through an aperture in the first mirror, similar to the design concept proposed for ITER. A dichroic beam splitter outside the vacuum separates visible and infrared (IR) light. Spatial calibration is accomplished by warping a CAD-rendered image to align with landmarks in a data image. The IR camera provides scrape-off layer heat flux profile deposition features in diverted and inner-wall-limited plasmas, such as heat flux reduction in pumped radiative divertor shots. Demonstration of the system to date includes observation of fast-ion losses to the outer wall during neutral beam injection, and shows reduced peak wall heat loading with disruption mitigation by injection of a massive gas puff.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Emissivity of freestanding membranes with thin metal coatings

Freestanding silicon nitride membranes with thicknesses down to a few tens of nanometers find use as TEM windows or soft X-ray spectral purity filters. As the thickness of a membrane decreases, emissivity vanishes, which limits radiative heat emission and resistance to heat loads. We show that thin metal layers with thicknesses in the order of 1 nm enhance the emissivity of thin membranes by two to three orders of magnitude close to the theoretical limit of 0.5. This considerably increases thermal load capacity of membranes in vacuum environments. Our experimental results are in line with classical theory in which we adapt thickness dependent scattering terms in the Drude and Lorentz oscillators.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Energetic ions in ITER plasmas

This paper discusses the behaviour and consequences of the expected populations of energetic ions in ITER plasmas. It begins with a careful analytic and numerical consideration of the stability of Alfvén Eigenmodes in the ITER 15 MA baseline scenario. The stability threshold is determined by balancing the energetic ion drive against the dominant damping mechanisms and it is found that only in the outer half of the plasma (r/a>0.5) can the fast ions overcome the thermal ion Landau damping. This is in spite of the reduced numbers of alpha-particles and beam ions in this region but means that any Alfvén Eigenmode-induced redistribution is not expected to influence the fusion burn process. The influence of energetic ions upon the main global MHD phenomena expected in ITER's primary operating scenarios, including sawteeth, neoclassical tearing modes and Resistive Wall Modes, is also reviewed. Fast ion losses due to the non-axisymmetric fields arising from the finite number of toroidal field coils, the inclusion of ferromagnetic inserts, the presence of test blanket modules containing ferromagnetic material, and the fields created by the Edge Localised Mode (ELM) control coils in ITER are discussed. The greatest losses and associated heat loads onto the plasma facing components arise due to the use of the ELM control coils and come from neutral beam ions that are ionised in the plasma edge.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Cryogenic test of the 4 K / 2 K insert for the ARIEL e-Linac cryomodule

The ARIEL project at TRIUMF requires a 50 MeV superconducting electron linac consisting of five nine cell 1.3 GHz cavities divided into three cryomodules with one, two and two cavities in each module respectively. LHe is distributed in parallel to each module at 4 K and at ∼1.2 bar. Each module has a cryogenic insert on board that receives the 4 K liquid and produces 2 K into a cavity phase separator. The module combines a 4 K phase separator, a plate and fin heat exchanger from DATE and a J-T valve expanding into the 2 K phase separator. The unit also supplies 4 K liquid to thermal intercepts in the module in siphon loops that return the vaporized liquid to the 4 K reservoir. For testing purposes the unit is outfitted with a dummy 2 K phase separator and thermal intercepts with variable heaters that mimic the final heat loads in order to test the cryogenic performance. The design of the 4 K / 2 K insert, the results of the cold tests and a summary of the test infrastructure including cryogenics services will be presented.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Recent performance of the SNS H{sup −} ion source and low-energy beam transport system

Recent measurements of the H{sup −} beam current show that SNS is injecting about 55 mA into the RFQ compared to ∼45 mA in 2010. Since 2010, the H{sup −} beam exiting the RFQ dropped from ∼40 mA to ∼34 mA, which is sufficient for 1 MW of beam power. To minimize the impact of the RFQ degradation, the service cycle of the best performing source was extended to 6 weeks. The only degradation is fluctuations in the electron dump voltage towards the end of some service cycles, a problem that is being investigated. Very recently, the RFQ was retuned, which partly restored its transmission. In addition, the electrostatic low-energy beam transport system was reengineered to double its heat sinking and equipped with a thermocouple that monitors the temperature of the ground electrode between the two Einzel lenses. The recorded data show that emissions from the source at high voltage dominate the heat load. Emissions from the partly Cs-covered first lens cause the temperature to peak several hours after starting up. On rare occasions, the temperature can also peak due to corona discharges between the center ground electrode and one of the lenses.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
NASA NTRS2007

A Simplified Approach for the Rapid Generation of Transient Heat-Shield Environments

A simplified approach has been developed whereby transient entry heating environments are reliably predicted based upon a limited set of benchmark radiative and convective solutions. Heating, pressure and shear-stress levels, non-dimensionalized by an appropriate parameter at each benchmark condition are applied throughout the entry profile. This approach was shown to be valid based on the observation that the fully catalytic, laminar distributions examined were relatively insensitive to altitude as well as velocity throughout the regime of significant heating. In order to establish a best prediction by which to judge the results that can be obtained using a very limited benchmark set, predictions based on a series of benchmark cases along a trajectory are used. Solutions which rely only on the limited benchmark set, ideally in the neighborhood of peak heating, are compared against the resultant transient heating rates and total heat loads from the best prediction. Predictions based on using two or fewer benchmark cases at or near the trajectory peak heating condition, yielded results to within 5-10 percent of the best predictions. Thus, the method provides transient heating environments over the heat-shield face with sufficient resolution and accuracy for thermal protection system design and also offers a significant capability to perform rapid trade studies such as the effect of different trajectories, atmospheres, or trim angle of attack, on convective and radiative heating rates and loads, pressure, and shear-stress levels.

Wurster, Kathryn E.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Conceptual design of the ITER fast-ion loss detector

A conceptual design of a reciprocating fast-ion loss detector for ITER has been developed and is presented here. Fast-ion orbit simulations in a 3D magnetic equilibrium and up-to-date first wall have been carried out to revise the measurement requirements for the lost alpha monitor in ITER. In agreement with recent observations, the simulations presented here suggest that a pitch-angle resolution of ∼5° might be necessary to identify the loss mechanisms. Synthetic measurements including realistic lost alpha-particle as well as neutron and gamma fluxes predict scintillator signal-to-noise levels measurable with standard light acquisition systems with the detector aperture at ∼11 cm outside of the diagnostic first wall. At measurement position, heat load on detector head is comparable to that in present devices.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2017

Model 9975 Life Extension Test Package 3 - Interim Report - January 2017

Life extension package LE3 (9975-03203) has been instrumented and subjected to an elevated temperature environment for approximately 8 years. During this time, the cane fiberboard has been maintained at a maximum temperature of ~160 - 165 °F, which was established by a combination of internal (19 watts) and external heat sources. Several tests and parameters were used to characterize the package components. Results from these tests generally indicate agreement between this full-scale shipping package and small-scale laboratory tests on fiberboard samples, including the degradation models based on the laboratory tests. These areas of agreement include the rate of change of fiberboard weight, dimensions and density, and change in fiberboard thermal conductivity. Corrosion of the lead shield occurred at a high rate during the first several weeks of aging, but dropped significantly after most of the moisture in the fiberboard migrated away from the lead shield. Dimensional measurements of the lead shield indicate that no significant creep deformation has occurred. This is consistent with literature data that predict a very small creep deformation for the time at temperature experienced by this package. The SCV O-rings were verified to remain leak-tight after ~5 years aging at an average temperature of ~170 °F. This package provides an example of the extent to which moisture within a typical fiberboard assembly can redistribute in the presence of a temperature gradient such as might be created by a 19 watt internal heat load. The majority of water within the fiberboard migrated to the bottom layers of fiberboard, with approximately 2 kg of water (2 liters) eventually escaping from the package. Two conditions have developed that are not consistent with package certification requirements. The axial gap at the top of the package increased to a maximum value of 1.549 inches, exceeding the 1 inch criterion. In addition, staining and/or corrosion have formed in a few spots on the drum. However, the package remains capable of performing its function. Aging of this package continues.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2013

Characteristics of a liquid-helium-free calibration apparatus for cryogenic thermometers

Closed-cycle Joule-Thomson (JT) cryocoolers have been developed at National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ)/National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) with the aim of realizing a liquid-helium-free calibration apparatus for cryogenic thermometers between 0.65 K and 25 K. The latest JT cryocooler at NMIJ/AIST consists of a {sup 3}He JT cooling circuit and a pulse tube mechanical refrigerator. The characteristics of the apparatus including a residual gas analysis of the JT cooling circuit are presented in this paper. Currently the initial cool-down is performed using a heat-exchange gas. It normally takes about 30 h to reduce the temperature from room temperature to 5 K at the thermometer comparison block of the apparatus. The correct timing of the removal of the heatexchange gas is important for the efficient operation of the apparatus. Incomplete removal of the heat-exchange gas induces excess heat load on the apparatus and thermal disturbances. Some examples of abrupt temperature bursts are discussed in this paper. Mechanical refrigerators generate cyclic mechanical vibrations, and precision resistance thermometers are usually very sensitive to a mechanical vibration. The measured vibration level of the developed apparatus is reported. The damage to the apparatus due to the magnitude 9.0 earthquake on March 11, 2011, and possible countermeasures in the case of future earthquakes are also discussed.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Improvement of a plasma uniformity of the 2nd ion source of KSTAR neutral beam injector

The 2nd ion source of KSTAR (Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research) NBI (Neutral Beam Injector) had been developed and operated since last year. A calorimetric analysis revealed that the heat load of the back plate of the ion source is relatively higher than that of the 1st ion source of KSTAR NBI. The spatial plasma uniformity of the ion source is not good. Therefore, we intended to identify factors affecting the uniformity of a plasma density and improve it. We estimated the effects of a direction of filament current and a magnetic field configuration of the plasma generator on the plasma uniformity. We also verified that the operation conditions of an ion source could change a uniformity of the plasma density of an ion source.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Liquid lithium as divertor material to mitigate severe damage of nearby components during plasma transients

The successful operation of thermonuclear fusion reactors such as ITER, DEMO, and future commercial plants is mainly determined by the optimum choice of materials for various components. The objective of this work is to accurately and comprehensively simulate the entire device in 3D to predict pros and cons of various materials, e.g., liquid lithium in comparison to tungsten and carbon to predict future ITER-like and DEMO divertor performances. We used our comprehensive HEIGHTS simulation package to investigate ITER-like components response during transient events in exact 3D geometry. Starting from the lost hot core plasma particles through SOL, deposition on the divertor surface, and the generation of secondary plasma of divertor materials. Our simulations predicted significant reduction in the heat loading and damage to the divertor nearby and internal components in the case when lithium is used on the divertor plates. While if tungsten or carbon are used on the divertor plate, significant melting areas and vaporization spots can occur (less for carbon) on the reflector, dome, and stainless steel tubes, and even parts of the first walls can melt due to the high radiation power of the secondary divertor plasma. Lithium photon radiation deposition into the divertor and nearby surfaces was decreased by two orders of magnitude compared to tungsten and by one order of magnitude compared to carbon. This analysis showed that using liquid lithium for ITER-like surfaces and future DEMO can lead to significant enhancement in components lifetime.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

3S (Safeguards, Security, Safety) based pyroprocessing facility safety evaluation plan

The big advantage of pyroprocessing for the management of spent fuels against the conventional reprocessing technologies lies in its proliferation resistance since the pure plutonium cannot be separated from the spent fuel. The extracted materials can be directly used as metal fuel in a fast reactor, and pyroprocessing reduces drastically the volume and heat load of the spent fuel. KAERI has implemented the SBD (Safeguards-By-Design) concept in nuclear fuel cycle facilities. The goal of SBD is to integrate international safeguards into the entire facility design process since the very beginning of the design phase. This paper presents a safety evaluation plan using a conceptual design of a reference pyroprocessing facility, in which 3S (Safeguards, Security, Safety)-By-Design (3SBD) concept is integrated from early conceptual design phase. The purpose of this paper is to establish an advanced pyroprocessing hot cell facility design concept based on 3SBD for the successful realization of pyroprocessing technology with enhanced safety and proliferation resistance.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Pilgrim Hot Springs Building Dimensions and Energy Modeling

This dataset was created to model the anticipated heating load of a geothermal project in development for the historical site of Pilgrim Hot Springs, and adds to the history of geothermal studies at the site. Models include an historical building (Nun's Quarters), existing modern buildings (Caretaker's Cabin, Igloo, Visitor's Cabin, Staff Shower Hut), and planned building projects (Changing Room, Greenhouse). Modeling results were used to determine feasible geothermal system typologies. The previous study linked below ("Village of Solomon Development of Energy Efficiency Building Standards for New Construction") feeds in to this project. The dataset includes DWG drawings and AKwarm energy models (.hm2) of a subset of existing buildings at the site of Pilgrim Hot Springs. All buildings were modeled in their current state, and some were additionally modeled with improvements to the building envelope. Energy modeling results exported from AKwarm include .htm and .png images.

AKwarm↗
DOE OSTI2014

A simulation of X-ray shielding for a superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source

It is generally assumed that large amounts of x-rays are emitted from the ion source of an Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) instrument. The total amount of x-rays should be strictly limited to avoid the extra heat load to the cryostat of the superconducting ECR ion source, since they are partly absorbed by the cold mass into the cryostat. A simulation of x-ray shielding was carried out to determine the effective thickness of the x-ray shield needed via the use of Geant4. X-ray spectra of the 10 GHz Nanogan ECR ion source were measured as a function of the thickness variation in the x-ray shield. The experimental results were compared with Geant4 results to verify the effectiveness of the x-ray shield. Based on the validity in the case of the 10 GHz ECR ion source, the x-ray shielding results are presented by assuming the spectral temperature of the 28 GHz ECR ion source.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2016

High-throughput exploration of thermoelectric and mechanical properties of amorphous NbO{sub 2} with transition metal additions

To increase the thermoelectric efficiency and reduce the thermal fatigue upon cyclic heat loading, alloying of amorphous NbO{sub 2} with all 3d and 5d transition metals has systematically been investigated using density functional theory. It was found that Ta fulfills the key design criteria, namely, enhancement of the Seebeck coefficient and positive Cauchy pressure (ductility gauge). These quantum mechanical predictions were validated by assessing the thermoelectric and elastic properties on combinatorial thin films, which is a high-throughput approach. The maximum power factor is 2813 μW m{sup −1} K{sup −2} for the Ta/Nb ratio of 0.25, which is a hundredfold increment compared to pure NbO{sub 2} and exceeds many oxide thermoelectrics. Based on the elasticity measurements, the consistency between theory and experiment for the Cauchy pressure was attained within 2%. On the basis of the electronic structure analysis, these configurations can be perceived as metallic, which is consistent with low electrical resistivity and ductile behavior. Furthermore, a pronounced quantum confinement effect occurs, which is identified as the physical origin for the Seebeck coefficient enhancement.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Impacts of Recycling Time on Fuel Cycle Transition

The purpose of this work is to show the importance of assumptions regarding the recycling time for time-dependent fuel cycle scenarios that involve transition from the current state of the U.S. fuel cycle to cycles based on continuous recycling via fast reactors. The recycling time is defined here as the total time between when the fuel is discharged from the reactor core and when its recovered heavy metals (HM) are recycled back into the core as part of the fresh/new fuel. The main processes occurring within the recycling time include cooling, separations, and fuel fabrication. The minimum recycling time required for fast reactor fuel largely depends on the minimum cooling time, which will be longer if discharged fuel needs to be moved to a centrally-located separations facility. A longer cooling time is needed for the heat load and fuel characteristics to reach safer levels for handling and transportation. Therefore, if the separation and fabrication facilities were co-located with reactors on-site, then the total recycling time could be reduced by several years. For fuel cycle transition scenarios in which external fissile materials (Pu or TRU) are limiting, these longer recycling times may prolong the transition to the continuous recycling system of fast reactors as well as impact the fuel cycle system performance during the transition. Therefore, in order to demonstrate the quantitative impacts of these recycling time assumptions, an example scenario of transition to the fast reactor fleet with continuous recycle was modeled in the fuel cycle systems code DYMOND. It must be emphasized that this is a point study that demonstrates how a longer recycling time can impact the rate of transition under specific conditions and assumptions. For alternative scenarios, such as those in which there are no fissile material constraints, there are likely no significant impacts due to recycling time. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Atomic data of tungsten for current and future uses in fusion and plasma science

Atomic physics has played an important role throughout the history of experimental plasma physics. For example, accurate knowledge of atomic properties has been crucial for understanding the plasma energy balance and for diagnostic development. With the shift in magnetic fusion research toward high-temperature burning plasmas like those expected to be produced in the ITER tokamak, the atomic physics of tungsten has become important. Tungsten will be a constituent of ITER plasmas because of its use as a plasma-facing material able to withstand high heat loads with lower tritium retention than other possible materials. Already, ITER diagnostics are being developed based on using tungsten radiation. In particular, the ITER Core Imaging X-ray Spectrometer (CIXS), which is designed to measure the core ion temperature and bulk plasma motion, is being based on the x-ray emission of neonlike tungsten ions (W{sup 64+}). In addition, tungsten emission will at ITER be measured by extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and optical spectrometers to determine its concentration in the plasma and to assess power loss and tungsten sputtering rates. On present-day tokamaks tungsten measurements are therefore being performed in preparation of ITER. Tungsten has very complex spectra and most are still unknown. The WOLFRAM project at Livermore aims to produce data for tungsten in various spectral bands: Lshell x-ray emission for CIXS development, soft x-ray and EUV M- and N-shell tungsten emission for understanding the edge radiation from ITER plasmas as well as from contemporary tokamaks, and O-shell emission for developing spectral diagnostics of the ITER divertor.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗