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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 649 records · Page 36
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Removal of Tc-99, Zr-95, and Nb-95, From Solutions Obtained After Dissolution of Irradiated Mo Targets

Decontamination of 99 Tc, Nb, and Zr impurities in dissolved irradiated Mo disks can be accomplished using Fe(II) precipitation. Here, we report bench-scale experiments and large-scale demonstrations on removal of 99 Tc (0.1 mM), 95 Nb, and 95 Zr from dissolved Mo disk simulant solutions. Tc removal is accomplished through the reduction and simultaneous immobilization of Tc(VII) by Fe(II), producing an insoluble, Tcincorporated Fe(II)-Fe(III) solid that is removed by filtration. Large-scale testing showed that Tc (97.6% ± 1.7%) is removed without affecting 99 Mo yields. Other important side reaction product impurities in irradiated Mo targets, namely various isotopes of Nb and Zr, are also removed (>99%) in this process. The effects of metal (Fe, Tc, Mo) concentrations, Fe(II)/Fe(III) ratio, pH, temperature, Fe addition method, and hydrogen peroxide addition were tested. The minimum amount of Fe(II) needed to remove up to 99% Tc is 10 mM and the optimal pH value for simultaneous removal of Tc, Nb, and Zr impurities is pH 13.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Advanced Moderator Material Handbook (FY22 Rev. 2)

High hydrogen density moderators such as metal hydrides are an important research topic within the DOE NE Microreactor Research, Development, and Deployment (RD&D) Program due to their ability to retain hydrogen to much higher temperatures than other hydrogenous media. This class of moderators, which includes yttrium dihydride (YH 2 ), thermalizes neutrons in the system such that the overall fuel mass or the required uranium enrichment in the system can be significantly reduced. Knowledge of material properties, both in the as-fabricated and irradiated state, are important to understanding moderator performance during steady-state and transient reactor operation. This document provides a detailed summary of the literature data on yttrium dihydride, thermomechanical and other property data, and a critical evaluation of that data. This handbook also provides a description of ongoing experiments to understand in-reactor performance, such as irradiations in ATR, as well as nuclear data from an integral critical experiment at NCERC. This report focuses on measured quantities but also includes some modeling results for comparison where applicable.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Numerical Analysis and Flow Induced Vibration Studies in Pressurized Helium Gas Cooling Channels

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is working with NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes (NMR) on their efforts to produce Mo-99 from the irradiation of Mo-100 targets. The NMR target consists of an Inconel window that allows the electron beam to penetrate and irradiate a stack of Mo-100 discs. The irradiation process generates large amounts of heat and is cooled using pressurized helium gas flowing at 400 g/s. LANL provides both numerical analysis support and experimental support. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations for both 300 g/s and 400 g/s are performed on the NMR target to analyze the helium flow through the NMR system. The pressure drop, the mass flow rate through each of the disc and window channels and the force applied on the first disc are some of the quantities estimated using CFD. These results will be combined with Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) estimates of heat flux into the system from the electron beam to perform conjugate heat transfer analysis (CHT). The experiments presented in this report focus on the effect of the flow induced vibrations from helium flowing through the coolant gaps between the discs. There is concern that the flow induced vibrations may lead to excessive mass loss of the enriched Mo-100 discs, and the goal would be to mitigate the mass loss. This work presents benchtop tests of flow through a subset of the target stack which involves high speed imaging and displacement measurements used to estimate disc vibration, as well as mass loss.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Thermal Characterization of Acid Treated Anion Exchange Resins

Anion exchange is a chemical separation and purification technique in which a solid phase ion exchanging material (i.e., anion exchange resin beads) interchanges its anions with the desired anions from a solution phase. Typical anion exchange resins (e.g., Bio-Rad AG 1-X8 strongly basic anion exchange resin) consist of a polymer resin bead of cross-linked polystyrene with quaternary ammonium functional groups (Figure 1). Anion exchange occurs at the resin functional groups by exchange of the counter ion of the quaternary ammonium (typically chloride or nitrate) for the anionic species of interest. Other resin polymers have been developed—such as cross-linked vinylpyridine/divinylbenzene utilized in Reillex HPQ anion exchange resin—to improve the resins’ resistance against degradation by oxidizing agents, strong acids, and radiation. Anion exchange is performed for the separation of transuranic (TRU) elements throughout the Department of Energy complex. At the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), production scale quantities of these resins are handled at the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Facility, the Plutonium Facility, and the Transuranic Waste Facility. Spent anion exchange resin will eventually be disposed of as TRU waste. This has prompted concerns regarding its safe disposal under potential hazard scenarios, in particular a thermal excursion of a TRU waste drum. There is a concern that a potential thermal excursion of a TRU waste drum containing anion exchange resin previously contacted with nitric acid may result in energetic side reactions and pressure buildup due to resin degradation by nitric acid and heat. Therefore, the objective of the experiments described in this report was to gather qualitative and quantitative data to support decisions regarding the thermal stability and safe disposal strategy of nitric acid treated anion exchange resins utilized in TRU processing operations.

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

INL Report: Multiphysics Modeling and Simulation of Deimos, an Advanced Reactor Experiment

When designing a novel reactor, nuclear experiments are essential to validate the predictive capability of modeling/simulation tools and to justify the investment of a full-scale prototype. Being able to accurately predict temperature reactivity coefficients is of high importance to reactor designers as it impacts the safety and performance of the system. Deimos is a proposed graphite-moderated, beryllium-reflected, high assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fueled experiment for NCERC. Deimos is a valuable experiment for validating the predictive performance of modeling and simulation tools since it comprises a relatively thermal energy spectrum with 84% thermal neutrons causing fission, 15% epithermal neutrons causing fission, and 1% fast neutrons causing fission. Additionally, by electrically heating the experiment, reactivity can be validated at various temperatures. Deimos will serve as a testbed for future advanced reactor concepts.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Customer-Focused Key Performance Indicators for Electric Vehicle Charging

To systematically improve the public charging experience, EV charging industry stakeholders need to define and measure it precisely. Many stakeholders currently measure aspects of the charging experience, but they typically employ metrics that are either operational in nature, such as charger uptime and mean time between failures, or composite customer satisfaction indices. To improve the customer experience most effectively, the industry needs metrics that define the charging experience from the perspective of the customer, not business operations. Furthermore, industry practitioners need granular metrics to know what specific aspects of the charging experience need improvement. This report defines such customer-focused metrics, called key performance indicators (KPIs).

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2024

TEX-Hf Assemblies: Highly Enriched Uranium Plates with Hafnium Using Polyethylene Moderator and Polyethylene Reflector

This report documents the integral experiment evaluation and publication for IER-532 (TEX-Hf), Thermal/Epithermal eXperiments (TEX) with highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel and hafnium (Hf), moderated and reflected by polyethylene. The design of TEX-Hf is a variation of IER-297 (TEX-HEU), with the inclusion of hafnium as a diluent material. The experiment and evaluation include seven configurations, all of which were acceptable as benchmark cases. These benchmark cases provide validation for hafnium in the thermal, intermediate, and fast neutron energy regimes by maximizing the sensitivity in k eff to the hafnium cross sections. The evaluation was reviewed and accepted by the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) Technical Review Group on April 17, 2024, and was submitted to the ICSBEP in August 2024 following subgroup approval.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Western States Building Energy & Controls Apprenticeship (BECA) Program

How does this project help to understand the challenges of workforce development in the commercial building energy management industry? The purpose of this project was to create a replicable, scalable, and portable apprenticeship program for building energy management and controls. This paper will demonstrate how local processes can be more adaptable and inclusive than federal processes in achieving workforce development goals. Our work provides insights into the technical effectiveness of the program, enabling others to achieve greater success in their workforce development initiatives. The project required more time and financial resources than initially anticipated and spent a year in a no-cost extension working to accomplish the Statement of Project Objectives. The original goal was to create an Industry Related Apprenticeship Program (IRAP). The development of this apprenticeship presented challenges due to the lack of existing programs for reference and the absence of relevant industry classification codes by the Department of Labor (DOL). Notably, the role of a commercial building energy analyst is not recognized by the DOL. The SIC (industry codes) do not have a good description of this job. There are many that may fall into related categories, but none are the actual duties of an energy analyst. Discussions with the DOL indicated that substantial groundwork was necessary before a national apprenticeship program could be implemented, causing delays in the program’s commencement. As a result, students experienced longer wait times before starting their apprenticeship component. The apprenticeship program officially launched on September 14, 2021. The success of the State of Oregon’s apprenticeship program, the first of its kind in the state, underscored the flexibility and effectiveness of local initiatives compared to federal efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic also significantly impacted the project’s success. Beginning in March 2020, the pandemic led to widespread closures of schools and colleges by fall 2020. By September 2021, when the apprenticeship option became available, enrollment in colleges and universities nationwide had decreased, affecting student participation in the program. Moreover, as employers transitioned their employees to remote work, there was limited interaction with external personnel, influencing the willingness of training agents (employers) to integrate additional workers into their teams. This paper addresses several challenges encountered during the project, with the hope that future workforce development efforts will benefit from these experiences. We Final Technical Report 4 | Page encourage others to engage with state and federal agencies to enhance and update pathways for workforce development and apprenticeship programs.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Brine Availability Test in Salt (BATS) (FY25 Final Closeout)

This fiscal year 2025 (FY25) closeout report summarizes the final experiments conducted and data collected in phase 2 of the Brine Availability Test in Salt (BATS 2). The design and interpretation of the test was previously funded by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition Program, under the Disposal Research and Development (R&D) program of the Office of Spent Fuel & Waste Science and Technology (SFWST) but they are not funding it anymore (since May 2025). The experiment was located underground at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), southeastern New Mexico, which is a DOE Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) site managed by the Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO). DOE-EM funds the WIPP Test Coordination Office (TCO), which provided critical implementation support for the continued execution of BATS. A high-level summary of processes expected in a salt repository are given in Kuhlman & Mills (2025).

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

Customer-Focused Key Performance Indicators for Electric Vehicle Charging

To systematically improve the public charging experience, EV charging industry stakeholders need to define and measure it precisely. Many stakeholders currently measure aspects of the charging experience, but they typically employ metrics that are either operational in nature, such as charger uptime and mean time between failures, or composite customer satisfaction indices. To improve the customer experience most effectively, the industry needs metrics that define the charging experience from the perspective of the customer, not business operations. Furthermore, industry practitioners need granular metrics to know what specific aspects of the charging experience need improvement. This report defines such customer-focused metrics, called key performance indicators (KPIs).

33 - ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Mantis Shrimp Dataset

The Mantis Shrimp Dataset (MSD) is a combination of matched cutouts of galaxies with known redshift in the ultra-violet, optical, and infrared wavelengths. MSD redshifts come from ''high-quality'' (as reported by the spectroscopic experiment) redshift measurements from a variety of spectroscopic surveys, including: SDSS, DESI early release, DEEP2, GAMA, VVDS, VIPERS, 6dF, and WiggleZ. Each redshift is accompanies with astrometry (ra,dec) pairs that were used to query cutout image services from PanSTARRs, UnWISE, and GALEX servers. The main data products are image vectors of these cutouts accompanied by the redshift value to be used to train computer vision networks on the supervised photometric redshift task. We also provide extinction values pre-queried at each galaxies' astrometry from the PLANCK and SFD dutstmaps, the SDSS MGS photometric redshift from Beck 2014 (if available) and the WISE x PS1 STRM photometric redshift for the galaxy (if available).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Emerging nuclear collectivity in 124-130 Te

The emergence of nuclear collectivity near doubly-magic 132Sn was explored along the stable, eveneven 124-130Te isotopes. Preliminary measurements of the B(E2; 41+ → 21+) transition strengths are reported from Coulomb excitation experiments primarily aimed at measuring the g factors of the 41+ states. Isotopically enriched Te targets were excited by 198-205 MeV 58Ni beams. A comparison of transition strengths obtained is made to large-scale shell-model calculations with successes and limitations discussed.

coombes, Ben↗
DOE OSTI2025

Efficiency and emissions of NH3-diesel/bio-pilot dual-fuel combustion in a high-speed four-stroke engine

While dual-fuel ammonia engines are starting to be commercialized for the large low-speed 2-stroke marine engine market, there are still challenges with utilizing ammonia on 4-stroke engines used as auxiliary engines for ocean going vessels and within inland and coastal marine applications. The shorter timescales for high-speed engines pose a particular challenge for low-cetane, high ignition energy fuels like ammonia. In addition to achieving maximum ammonia substitution levels, N2O emissions are a key factor that needs to be understood. This paper reports the results of experiments using a single-cylinder 107mm bore Cummins B-series diesel engine modified for port-fuel injection of gaseous anhydrous ammonia with a direct injection of diesel fuel near-TDC to ignite the premixed ammonia. Combustion data as well as emissions data from an FTIR including NO, NO2, N2O, and unburned ammonia are presented for selected operating points with a focus on high-load operation at 1200rpm with high ammonia energy substitution (over 95% by fuel energy). Several air/fuel ratio conditions are included, sweeping from diesel-like airflow to stoichiometric conditions. The impact of biofuels (biodiesel and renewable diesel) as pilot fuels is also considered. Comparisons for emissions, greenhouse gas performance, and efficiency are made with a conventional diesel combustion baseline. The impact of fuel injection strategy on NOx, N2O, and NH3 emissions is quantified, and the dual-fuel ammonia results on this high-speed 4-stroke engine are expected to provide fundamental insights into further combustion development opportunities for the larger engines used across marine applications.

Kaul, Brian [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000184813620)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Chemical kinetic interactions of NO with a multi-component gasoline surrogate: Experiments and modeling

Here this work reports an experimental and modeling study on the chemical kinetic interactions of NO with a multi-component gasoline surrogate, namely PACE-20, using a twin-piston rapid compression machine at a stochiometric fuel loading with 20% EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) by mass, pressures of 20 and 40 bar, and temperatures from 700 to 930 K. Five NO concentrations are investigated, namely 0, 20, 50, 70 and 150 ppm, where NO addition effects are characterized through changes in PACE-20 ignition reactivity and heat release characteristics. Experiments indicate that within the low-temperature regime, NO promotes low-temperature heat release rate and main ignition reactivity at low addition levels, with saturation or even inhibiting effects observed at >50 ppm NO addition, while within the NTC/intermediate-temperature regime, adding NO only promotes reactivity. A recently updated, detailed chemical kinetic model with chemistry specific to NOx/hydrocarbons interaction incorporated is used to simulate the experiments, and reasonable agreement is obtained. In-depth sensitivity and rate of production analyses are further performed. The results indicate that NO interacts with PACE-20 via two types of interaction: (a) direct interactions between NO and PACE-20 derivatives, primarily through NO+HO 2 ↔NO 2 +OH and RO 2 +NO↔RO+NO 2 , and (b) indirect interactions between PACE-20 derivatives and NO 2 produced from the direct interactions, primarily through R+NO 2 ↔RO+NO. The observed NO inhibiting effect at low temperatures and 150 ppm NO addition is attributed to the lack of HO 2 radicals to sustain NO consumption via NO+HO 2 ↔NO 2 +OH, and the take-up of inhibiting pathways via RO 2 +NO↔RO+NO 2 . The results also indicate that even with the presence of multiple fuel components, NOx/hydrocarbons interactions are highly selective, and are mainly initiated by the interactions between NO and RO 2 radicals from cyclopentane and ethanol, as well as between NO 2 and R radicals from toluene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene and 1-hexene. Further studies on these interactive reactions are therefore highly recommended.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Laser-driven ramp-compression experiments on the national ignition facility

This report details the analyses and related uncertainties in measuring longitudinal-stress–density paths in indirect laser-driven ramp equation-of-state (EOS) experiments. Experiments were conducted at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) located at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The NIF can deliver up to 2 MJ of laser energy over 30 ns and provide the necessary laser power and control to ramp compress materials to TPa pressures (1 TPa = 10 × 10 6 atmospheres). These data provide low-temperature solid-state EOS data relevant to the extreme conditions found in the deep interiors of giant planets. In these experiments, multi-stepped samples with thicknesses in the range of 40–120 µm experience an initial shock compression followed by a time-dependent ramp compression to peak pressure. Interface velocity measurements from each thickness combine to place a constraint on the Lagrangian sound speed as a function of particle velocity, which in turn allows for the determination of a continuous stress–density path to high levels of compressibility. In this report, we present a detailed description of the experimental techniques and measurement uncertainties and describe how these uncertainties combine to place a final uncertainty in both stress and density. Here, we address the effects of time-dependent deformation and the sensitivity of ramp EOS techniques to the onset of phase transformations.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Baseline Postirradiation Examination of the FUTURIX-FTA Experiments

Postirradiation Examination (PIE) results from the baseline examination of the FUTURIX-FTA irradiation experiment are presented in this report. The FUTURIX-FTA irradiation was designed to study the fuel performance of candidate transmutation fuels. The FUTURIX-FTA experiment was conducted in the true fast neutron spectrum conditions of the Phénix sodium fast test reactor in France. FUTURIX-FTA contained several compositions that were also irradiated as part of the AFC-1 test in cadmium filtered positions in the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) that approximate the neutron spectrum of a fast reactor. This experiment was a joint collaboration between the Department of Energy (DOE) in the U.S. and the Commissariat á l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) in France. A joint agreement between DOE and CEA was established in 2004 to conduct an irradiation experiment of metallic and nitride fuels in the Phénix reactor at CEA. Both the FUTURIX-FTA tests and the AFC-1 tests were conducted for the DOE Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) that is part of Fuel Cycle Research & Development (FCRD) program. These programs seek to develop and demonstrate the technologies needed to transmute long-lived transuranic actinide isotopes contained in spent nuclear fuel via fast reactor technology. The long term goal of this work is to reduce the radiotoxicity of future high level waste repositories. Post-irradiation examination of irradiated fuels experiments provides data related to in reactor fuel performance and input into future fuel design choices. The compositions of the FUTURIX-FTA pins were designed to test if minor actinides could be incorporated into the fuel of a fast reactor without significantly changing fuel performance observed for previously well studied fuels. The fuel performance of metallic fuel in fast reactors has been well documented. Likewise the irradiation performance of nitride fuels in fast reactors has also been documented. However the existing database for nitride fuels is much smaller than the database for metal fuels.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗