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At least 577 records · Page 32

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DOE OSTI2020

Laser powder bed fusion of Inconel 718 on 316 stainless steel

The joining of Inconel 718 and 316 stainless steel has notable industrial importance. However, traditional arc-welding has many issues. In particular, the formation of the detrimental Nb-rich Laves phase in the heat affected zone can promote crack initiation and propagation, which leads to poor mechanical properties. The small heat input and the rapid solidification of laser powder bed fusion (PBF) has the potential to suppress this problem. Despite the infancy of the multi-material PBF, it is of interest to investigate the relationship among the process parameter, the microstructure at the materials joining point, and the mechanical performance. In this study, we used high-speed x-ray imaging to in-situ monitor the printing of Inconel 718 tracks on a 316H SS substrate via laser powder bed fusion, followed by post-build characterization and testing with SEM, XRD and nanoindentation. We observed that a higher linear energy density resulted in a more diffused interface and a smaller compositional gradient, but as a trade-off, generated more keyhole pores and thermal cracks. Furthermore, we also showed that the built layer exhibited chemical inhomogeneity at two length scales: a tens-of-mu m-scale compositional vortex due to the melt flow, and a sub-mu m-scale Nb-rich dendritic structure due to the non-equilibrium solidification that led to the formation of the Laves phase. It was inferred that the chemical inhomogeneity may benefit the mechanical properties at the interface by providing more interlocking between the two materials and also by limiting the effect of the brittle Laves phase to potentially short range.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2020

Size-dependent stochastic tensile properties in additively manufactured 316L stainless steel

Recent work in metal additive manufacturing (AM) suggests that mechanical properties may vary with feature size; however, these studies do not provide a statistically robust description of this phenomenon, nor do they provide a clear causal mechanism. Because of the huge design freedom afforded by 3D printing, AM parts typically contain a range of feature sizes, with particular interest in smaller features, so the size effect must be well understood in order to make informed design decisions. This work investigates the effect of feature size on the stochastic mechanical performance of laser powder bed fusion tensile specimens. A high-throughput tensile testing method was used to characterize the effect of specimen size on strength, elastic modulus and elongation in a statistically meaningful way. The effective yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and modulus decreased strongly with decreasing specimen size: all three properties were reduced by nearly a factor of two as feature dimensions were scaled down from 6.25 mm to 0.4 mm. Hardness and microstructural observations indicate that this size dependence was not due to an intrinsic change in material properties, but instead the effects of surface roughness on the geometry of the specimens. Finite element analysis using explicit representations of surface topography shows the critical role surface features play in creating stress concentrations that trigger deformation and subsequent fracture. The experimental and finite element results provide the tools needed to make corrections in the design process to more accurately predict the performance of AM components.

316L stainless steel↗

DOE OSTI2021

Advanced Syngas Cleanup Using Radically Engineered Modular Systems

The overall objective of this project was to address key knowledge gaps and develop modular sorbent-based warm syngas cleanup designs that will enable 1- to 5-MW REMS-based plants to be cost-competitive with large state-of-the-art commercial plants utilizing all of our abundant domestic coal reserves. We proposed to develop two potential new desulfurization process designs specifically targeted for REMS plants for combined heat and power or polygeneration from coal gasification. The first design is a modification of our commercially offered dual transport reactor design based Warm-gas Desulfurization Process (WDP) where the transport-reactor regenerator is replaced with a fluidized-bed regenerator. This design leverages the learnings obtained from our pre-commercial demonstration testing of the WDP technology for over 3,000 hours and conclusions from the lessons learned workshop. The second design is a fixed-bed process that leverages the successful composition and chemistry of our WDP sorbent to develop an effective fixed-bed sorbent formulation and fixed-bed process design. These two potential desulfurization process designs have a strong technical likelihood of success and offer the best opportunity to effectively employ design standardization, mass production and advanced manufacturing techniques to enable cost competitiveness for syngas cleanup at smaller scale.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

DOE OSTI2022

Horizontal Split Table Conceptual Design for Validation of Nuclear Data used in Advanced Reactors [Slides]

A methodology to create conceptual designs of benchmark critical experiments for advanced reactors nuclear data testing and validation was developed. A first concept was explored, pebble-bed high-temperature gas cooled reactor, based on the HTR-10 reactor. The very high correlation is a proof of concept that the design is similar to the application, and performing such critical experiments would help nuclear data testing and validation. This proof-of-concept was included in the IER-539 CED-1:Preliminary Design of a New Horizontal Split Table report. Other concepts could be explored if needed, such as Molten-salt reactor, Sodium-cooled fast reactor or Heat pipe reactors/Microreactor.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2026

A Physics-Based Digital Twin for Wave Elevation and Seabed Moment Estimation of Offshore Monopiles: Preprint

In this work, we present a proof of concept of a physics-based digital twin for a monopile structure (with overhead inertia) subjected to wave loading. The digital twin is formulated using reduced-order models derived from first principles and combined with a Kalman filter for state estimation. The proposed framework estimates the monopile top motion, the wave elevation, and the section forces and moments along the pile using primarily acceleration measurements at the monopile top. Key innovations include the use of a hydrodynamic shape function to represent distributed wave loading in a compact and computationally efficient manner, and the introduction of a shaping filter to augment the state-space with wave kinematics. Synthetic measurement data are generated using OpenFAST and used as a reference to assess the performance of the digital twin. Results demonstrate that the wave elevation can be accurately reconstructed without direct sea-state measurements as long as the wave regime is inertia-dominated. Under the ideal tested conditions, the total hydrodynamic force and sea-bed bending moment are estimated with relative errors on the order of 1% and correlation coefficients exceeding 96%. Future work will evaluate the estimator's performance under operational uncertainties and more complex loading conditions.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2022

Demo-scale testing of a hybrid membrane-sorbent system for post-combustion CO2 capture

TDA Research is developing a novel hybrid membrane-sorbent system for the post-combustion capture of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from supercritical pulverized coal (PC) power generation facilities or large point industrial emitters. Here, the novel design incorporates a 1st-stage continuous membrane separator developed by Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR) with a dual-bed radial-flow sorbent contactor (designed and developed at TDA). Testing of a pilot unit at 1 MWe scale has been conducted at the site for emerging technologies at the Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) in Mongstad, Norway using residue fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) flue gas from Equinor’s Mongstad refinery.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Sulfate Conversion of Reillex HPQ Anion Exchange Resin for Disposal (Interim Report)

This report describes preliminary data to validate the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility’s (SRPPF) flowsheet for conversion of used Reillex HPQ anion exchange resin from the nitrate form to the sulfate form. The nitrate form is an oxidizer and therefore does not meet acceptance criteria for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The purpose of this study is to develop data to support acceptance for this disposition pathway. Due to the challenges characterizing the nitrate concentration on solid resin, the data developed to date are based upon indirect analysis of the ion exchange column effluent by ion chromatography. These challenges are discussed and two methods for quantification of nitrate directly on the resin are recommended for further development: TGA-MS and permanganate digestion followed by IC. The resin used for this work was provided in the chloride form; this is the form in which resin is supplied by the manufacturer. However, it had to be converted to the nitrate form, which is the form that will be used in SRPPF’s ion exchange process, prior to use in the sulfate conversion experiments. The chloride-form resin was characterized. A lab-scale procedure for the conversion of Reillex HPQ resin from the chloride to nitrate form was validated. The nitrate-form resin was assessed for particle size and chloride concentration to ensure it met SRPPF’s facility specifications. The baseline sulfate conversion flowsheet was tested. However, nitrate was still detectable in the effluent after approximately 10 bed volumes of 1 M sodium sulfate had been passed through the resin bed. Additional experiments were performed to assess the effect of increasing the feed volume, reducing the flowrate, the use of 2 M sulfuric acid instead of sodium sulfate, and the use of irradiated resin. The sulfuric acid test was the only one which provided a nondetectable nitrate concentration (<0.002 M) in the effluent. Detectable nitrate in the column effluent suggests that nitrate is still present on the resin itself.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2025

Quantifying particle movement in a spout-fluidized bed with irregular feedstock morphology

Here, the spout-bed fluidization behavior of nonspherical, 140 μm SiC feedstock was quantified via particle image velocimetry for varying gas distributor geometries. A bench-scale, room-temperature fluidization setup was assembled to model a 50 mm fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition (FB-CVD) system, and fluidized bed motion was captured using a high-speed camera. Modular tips with varying inlet geometries were 3D printed and tested on the bench-scale rig using identical feedstock and gas flow rates in the range of 3.0–9.0 L/min. Fluidization behavior was quantified by extracting parameters of the bed velocity, frequency, dead time, and other measurements, which were ranked for each inlet geometry configuration tested. The results from this work demonstrate that changing the path of inlet gas flow can significantly change the hydrodynamics within a spout-fluidized bed under identical feedstock, loading, and flow rate conditions, potentially enabling experimental control of particle fluidization behavior for a given condition. Moreover, composite rankings of fluidization behavior for unique distributor geometries hold potential to guide the design of FB-CVD experiments for various engineering and scientific applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2025

FY25 Planned High-Temperature Mechanical Tests of LPBF 316H SS Performance at INL

This document is not the full report but contains the contribution to the Argonne National Laboratory’s Milestone which presents the consolidated research report on the laser powder bed fusion 316H material. This document provides an update on the creep and creep-fatigue test effort at Idaho National Laboratory.

316H Steel↗

DOE OSTI2023

Narrow-Channel, Fluidized Beds for Effective Particle Thermal Energy Transport and Storage

Colorado School of Mines (Mines) led this program in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) to characterize narrow-channel fluidized beds of aluminosilicate particles – supplied by Carbo Ceramics – as a means for releasing high-temperature thermal energy in particle heat exchangers and for capturing concentrated solar energy in indirect particle receivers. Single-channel, heat transfer experiments at Mines and reduced-order 1-D models and 3-D two-fluid, CFD models explored many aspects of counterflow, bubbling fluidized beds (net downward particle flow and upward gas flow) for enhancing particle-wall heat transfer at elevated temperatures. Results at Mines on single-channel test sections consistently showed that mild bubbling fluidization increases particle-wall heat transfer coefficients (h T,w ) regularly by more than 4.0x over h T,w values without fluidization at similar conditions (mean particle diameter d p , bed depth Δz b , and bed particle temperatures T p ). Insights from lab-scale tests and modeling studies provided Nusselt number correlations for h T,w and informed the design and fabrication (by Vacuum Process Engineering) of a nominal 40-kWth, particle-sCO 2 plate heat exchanger (HX) with 12 parallel narrow-channel, fluidized beds bounded by stainless-steel walls with embedded microchannels for high-pressure sCO 2 flows. Tests of the 40-kW th HX at the particle-sCO 2 HX test stand at Sandia's National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) were limited, due to HX design, to particle inlet temperatures T p,in ≤ 520°C with maximum sCO 2 outlet temperatures T sCO2,out ≈ 440°C, which are well below design conditions for a primary HX in a sCO 2 power cycle for a Gen-3 concentrating solar power (CSP) plant. Total heat transfer $\dot{Q}_{HX}$ remains relatively constant with increased fluidization for fixed particle and sCO 2 inlet conditions because higher h T,w due to fluidization is offset by increased axial dispersion, which suppresses temperature differences between the particles and sCO 2 in the counterflow configuration. The axial dispersion reduces the effective overall heat transfer coefficient U based on T p,in to values around 200 W m -2 K -1 .

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2020

Wavelet-based local mesh refinement for rainfall–runoff simulations

A wavelet-based local mesh refinement (wLMR) strategy is designed to generate multiresolution and unstructured triangular meshes from real digital elevation model (DEM) data for efficient hydrological simulations at the catchment scale. The wLMR strategy is studied considering slope- and curvature-based refinement criteria to analyze DEM inputs: the slope-based criterion uses bed elevation data as input to the wLMR strategy, whereas the curvature-based criterion feeds the bed slope data into it. The performance of the wLMR meshes generated by these two criteria is compared for hydrological simulations; first, using three analytical tests with the systematic variation in topography types and then by reproducing laboratory- and real-scale case studies. The bed elevation on the wLMR meshes and their simulation results are compared relative to those achieved on the finest uniform mesh. Repeated analytical tests show that the slope- and curvature-based criteria are equally effective with the wLMR strategy, and that it is easier to decide which criterion to take in relation to the (regular) shape of the topography. For the realistic case studies: (i) slope analysis provides a better metric to assess the correlation of a wLMR mesh to the fine uniform mesh and (ii) both criteria predict outlet hydrographs with a close predictive accuracy to that on the uniform mesh, but the curvature-based criterion is found to slightly better capture the channeling patterns of real DEM data.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

Spent Crystalline Silicotitanate Storage Study—Post AP-105DF Processing

A Tank-Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) system is under development by Washington River Protection Solutions to support initial production of immobilized low-activity waste (LAW) by feeding Hanford tank supernate from tank farms to the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) LAW Facility. Tank waste supernate is filtered to remove suspended solids and then Cs is removed by processing it through crystalline silicotitanate (CST) ion exchange media manufactured by Honeywell UOP, LLC. The Cs-loaded CST columns will be stored indefinitely, with a goal of eventual CST removal and treatment. Thus, the spent CST needs to be recoverable after undetermined storage time. Previous testing with AP-105 simulant showed that rinsing the CST bed with 3 bed volumes (1.4 apparatus volumes [AVs]) of 0.1 M NaOH resulted in a dried bed that maintained flow characteristics indicative of ease of recovery. This study explored the intermediate conditions (between feed dried in place and the 1.4 AVs of 0.1 M NaOH rinse) to evaluate CST bed properties.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2022

Layer-wise Imaging Dataset from Powder Bed Additive Manufacturing Processes for Machine Learning Applications (Peregrine v2022-10)

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2023

Layer-wise Imaging Dataset from Powder Bed Additive Manufacturing Processes for Machine Learning Applications (Peregrine v2022-10.1)

This release consists of six datasets which together include multi-modal layer-wise powder bed images from two different powder bed printing technologies. These datasets are designed primarily to facilitate the development and testing of new computer vision and machine learning based anomaly and defect detection algorithms. The authors provide both training data with corresponding ground truth pixel masks and evaluation data with corresponding baseline prediction pixel masks made by a trained neural network. The laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) datasets are sourced from EOS M290 and AddUp FormUp 350 printers and the binder jet (BJ) dataset is sourced from an ExOne M-Flex printer. The materials represented in these datasets include 17-4 PH Stainless Steel, GammaPrint-700, Inconel 718, Maraging Steel, and H13 Steel. The sensor imaging modalities represented include visible-light (VL), temporally-integrated (i.e., long duration exposure) near-infrared (TI-NIR), and wide-band infrared (IR). To download the dataset: (1) Create a Globus account. (2) Create a Globus Endpoint on your computer. (3) Transfer the dataset from the OLCF DOI-DOWNLOADS Collection to your Collection. Common troubleshooting steps: (a) Confirm that the transfer is going from OLCF DOI-DOWNLOADS to your Collection. (b) Create an exception for Globus in your antivirus software so that it can create an Endpoint. (c) Manually create a Globus access directory (where the data will be downloaded) by going to the Preferences > Access tab.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Particle Vertical Mixing and Horizontal Conveyance Within an Ambient Temperature Fluidized Bed

Previous studies have shown the advantages of particle-to-sCO2 fluidized bed (FB) heat exchangers, which include high heat transfer coefficients, low material cost, and the ability to horizontally convey solid particles. This paper outlines the design and testing of a compact cold flow FB test apparatus to characterize horizontal conveyance through convolutions within a 100 kWth FB heat exchanger design. Horizontal conveyance is an advantage in FBs because it enables more compact designs for heat exchangers. Two mass flow rates, 0.5 & 1 kg/s, at the inlet & outlet of the FB. To determine consistency of the flow rates, Student’s t-tests were used to assess whether the inlet & outlet values were statistically similar. The mass flow rate exiting the bed was statistically similar to the flow rate entering the bed for both cases, but each case featured a wider range and standard deviation. The range and standard deviation of the 1 kg/s flow rate was 0.69-1.23 kg/s and 0.12 kg/s respectively, and the 0.5 kg/s test featured a range and standard deviation of 0.37-0.73 kg/s and 0.09 kg/s, respectively. These measurements provide confidence that large-scale designs can successfully horizontally convey particles at ````~1.5x minimum fluidization velocity (Umf) without significant variation in flow rate. A method to characterize the degree of particle vertical mixing and bubble frequency within the FB is also introduced. By using a high-resolution camera together with particle velocimetry, particle motion in the X and Y directions can be estimated to assess bed mixing and bubble frequency.

Khalaf, Jawad↗

DOE OSTI2024

Optical Flow Diagnostics of Counter Fluidization of Gravity-Driven Moving Packed Bed for a CSP Receiver Section Featuring Staggered Array of Cylindrical Pins

Particle fluidized beds have the potential to improve the efficiency of heat transfer in concentrated solar receiver furnace for use in next generation concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. This study presents an experimental investigation on the flow characterization of vertically downward moving packed bed with counter fluidization through an array of jets. To control the bubble size and its distribution in the bubbling fluidized bed, an array of cylindrical pin fins was arranged uniformly across the test article. The flow visualization was performed on the surface of transparent glass coated with electrically conductive materials for electrostatic dissipation purposes. The image acquisition was carried out via high-speed camera at a frequency of ~ 1kHz. The acquired images were analyzed in pairs with the help of a modern optical flow algorithm capable of calculating the movement of dense particle flow in the fluidized bed by tracking the light intensity of each predefined window of the frames. A comparison of fluidized beds with plane and pin-finned channels revealed distinct bubble behavior. Pin-finned channels were found to produce a larger number of small-sized bubbles, while plane channels generated fewer but larger bubbles at any given instant. The presence of pin fins was observed to reduce bubble size by preventing bubble merging and splitting larger bubbles when they encountered a pin.

concentrating solar power↗

DOE OSTI2020

Development of a Testbed for Pipeline Flushing - 20425

Pipelines which carry high-level waste within the DOE complex should be properly flushed in the cases where stationary or moving beds of solid sediment occur, or lines are prone to hydrogen gas buildup. Present guidelines establish a minimum for the amount of water (flush volume) and flush velocity values used for post-transfer flushing operations to achieve satisfactory cleaning of pipelines. However, further studies are needed to find optimal operating velocity modes/values in order to minimizing the flush volume and consequent downstream waste. These efforts are significantly helpful to DOE waste remediation sites by preserving tank storage, preventing additional waste processing, and minimizing dilution and changes in waste chemistry. An experimental test loop was recently developed for study of non-Newtonian slurry flushing at the Florida International University (FIU). This loop was designed to create sediment beds of various materials and bed heights and investigate parameters that effect the efficiency of flushing operations. The objective is to find flush velocity values/modes which lead to satisfactory cleaning of transport lines with a minimum amount of water usage. A 165 ft experimental test loop made of 3-inch carbon steel pipes was constructed and used in initial testing campaigns. This pipe loop was equipped with real-time monitoring instruments to record variation of pressure, density, mass flow rate, and temperature during testing. Post-flush in-situ no-flow evaluations were performed using ultrasonic, endoscopy, and visual inspection. Additional post-flush evaluations were conducted using filtration and density monitoring of residuals within a designated circulations loop. These provisions enable comparison of pipeline cleanness before the start and after termination of flushing operations for efficiency evaluation. This paper presents efforts associated with flushing of kaolin-water mixtures at different concentrations and with various flush volume and flush velocity values/modes. In initial testing, efforts focused on creating repeatable sediment beds inside the pipeline in both fully-flooded (no pre-flush drainage) and gravity-drained (pre-flush drained) systems. Bed characterization (i.e., measurement of sediment height and solids concentration) was conducted to ensure about consistency of initial conditions between tests. Preliminary results for flushing study of 10% vol. kaolin-water mixtures starting from a fully-flooded initial condition showed that flushing with 1-line volume (65 gallons) could remove up to 72 percent of solids from the pipeline. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2024

Impacts of Superalloys on the Surface Quality of Additively Manufactured Channels

Abstract Gas turbines feature many components that require superalloys capable of handling extreme thermal environments. Increasing the selection of materials available for these components is important to their use in these extremely high-temperature environments. This study investigated two recently developed materials intended to be used for additive manufacturing (AM), with one superalloy based on cobalt and the other on nickel. Sets of four test coupons were built using the materials, in addition to the commonly used Inconel-718, on multiple laser powder bed fusion machines. Several build conditions were varied between coupon sets, including coupon orientation, contour settings, and upskin and downskin treatment. Each set of test coupons featured four unique cooling designs to explore how different cooling technologies would be impacted by the variations in build conditions. After being built, coupons were computed tomography (CT) scanned to determine accuracy to design intent and quantify the surface roughness. The CT scans indicated that horizontally built test coupons had a significantly higher deviation from design intent and higher surface roughness than those built vertically. Results also indicated that the cobalt-based alloy consistently had a smoother surface quality with lower surface roughness compared to the nickel-based alloy. After geometric characterization, the cooling performance of the test coupons was measured experimentally. Pressure losses were found to correlate with increases in surface roughness; however, in some cases, the convective heat transfer did not increase proportionally to the pressure loss as a result of surface features significantly blocking the flow without proportionally increasing convective heat transfer.

Engineering↗