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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 667 records · Page 37
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

In-Situ Spatial Mapping of Hydrogen in Yttrium Hydrides at LANSCE

This report summarizes the neutron imaging techniques and experimental activities performed at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) with the main goal of measuring temperature driven hydrogen diffusion within bulk-yttrium hydride (YH x ) materials. The experimental results and technique developments reported herein support the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s (DOE-NE) Microreactor Program under Technology Maturation. In particular, the critical need to experimentally validate and verify hydrogen-diffusion models of metal hydrides used in hightemperature microreactor designs is addressed by means of high-spatial-resolution neutron imaging coupled with custom-built and application-specific furnaces. These capabilities were designed to apply large temperature gradients across centimeter-sized YH x pellets to simulate conditions faced in the microreactor environment. Neutron imaging, combined with in-situ sample heating, enables near real-time tracking of hydrogen diffusion in YH x on the sub-millimeter scale. In this report, an overview of neutron imaging methodology and technologies are given in the context of recent spatial measures of hydrogen concentrations in similar metals hydrides. Additionally, the commissioning and operation of a custom-built compact dual-zone furnace is given along with details on the first two in-situ heating measurements of YH x performed over the 2020 and 2021 LANSCE operation cycles. In parallel with in-situ heating measurements, neutron computed tomography scans were performed to visualize hydrogen aggregates in post-heated YH x samples. Analysis and results from these neutron imaging measurements are given along with outlooks and plans for improving future hydrogen diffusion measurements at LANSCE.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-J-162: Quality Assurance Procedures for MR Guided Focused Ultrasound Treatment of Bone Metastasis

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to develop and verify our quality assurance (QA) procedures to ensure the safety and efficacy of MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment of bone metastases. Methods: A practical QA program was developed. Monthly and daily QA (DQA) procedures were performed. The major QA items included the checks of the machine hardware, software and patient safety features. Briefly, these checks/tests include: 1) the cooling system reservoir and treatment table; 2) power to the treatment table; 3) the MR coil; 4) the transducer position with MRI; 5) image display on the treatment work station; 6) the effective focal spot in 3 directions using MR thermometry; and 7) all the safety devices including a sonication lamp, and the emergency stop-sonication switches. In order to avoid patient skin burn, it is important to remove gas bubbles in the interfaces between the treatment table and the gel pad, and the gel pad and patients skin during the patient setup. Our QA procedures have been verified and evaluated through patient treatments. Seven patients with scapula, humeral head, sacrum, ilium, pubic ramus and acetabular bone metastases were treated using MRgFUS. Results: Our study showed that all seven patients tolerated the MRgFUS treatment well. No skin toxicity or other complications were observed. The pain score (0–10) using the visual analog scale (VAS) was significantly reduced from 8.0 ± 1.1 before treatment to 4.7 ± 3.0, 3.0 ± 1.5, 3.2 ± 2.8 and 3.4 ± 1.5 at one day, one month, two months and three months after the MRgFUS treatment, respectively. Conclusion: We demonstrated that with the appropriate QA procedures, MRgFUS is a safe, effective and noninvasive treatment modality for palliation of bone metastases.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-D-17A-04: The Impact of Audiovisual Biofeedback On Image Quality During 4D Functional and Anatomic Imaging: Results of a Prospective Clinical Trial

Purpose: The ability of audiovisual (AV) biofeedback to improve breathing regularity has not previously been investigated for functional imaging studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of AV biofeedback on 4D-PET and 4D-CT image quality in a prospective clinical trial. We hypothesized that motion blurring in 4D-PET images and the number of artifacts in 4D-CT images are reduced using AV biofeedback. Methods: AV biofeedback is a real-time, interactive and personalized system designed to help a patient self-regulate his/her breathing using a patient-specific representative waveform and musical guides. In an IRB-approved prospective clinical trial, 4D-PET and 4D-CT images of 10 lung cancer patients were acquired with AV biofeedback (AV) and free breathing (FB). The 4D-PET images in 6 respiratory bins were analyzed for motion blurring by: (1) decrease of GTVPET and (2) increase of SUVmax in 4-DPET compared to 3D-PET. The 4D-CT images were analyzed for artifacts by: (1) comparing normalized cross correlation-based scores (NCCS); and (2) quantifying a visual assessment score (VAS). A two-tailed paired t-test was used to test the hypotheses. Results: The impact of AV biofeedback on 4D-PET and 4D-CT images varied widely between patients, suggesting inconsistent patient comprehension and capability. Overall, the 4D-PET decrease of GTVPET was 2.0±3.0cm3 with AV and 2.3±3.9cm{sup 3} for FB (p=0.61). The 4D-PET increase of SUVmax was 1.6±1.0 with AV and 1.1±0.8 with FB (p=0.002). The 4D-CT NCCS were 0.65±0.27 with AV and 0.60±0.32 for FB (p=0.32). The 4D-CT VAS was 0.0±2.7 (p=ns). Conclusion: A 10-patient study demonstrated a statistically significant reduction of motion blurring of AV over FB for 1/2 functional 4D-PET imaging metrics. No difference between AV and FB was found for 2 anatomic 4D-CT imaging metrics. Future studies will focus on optimizing the human-computer interface and including patient training sessions for improved comprehension and capability. Supported by NIH/NCI R01 CA 093626, Stanford BioX Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program, NHMRC Australia Fellowship, and Kwanjeong Educational Foundation. GE Healthcare provided the Respiratory Gating Toolbox for 4D-PET image reconstruction. Stanford University owns US patent #E7955270 which is unlicensed to any commercial entity.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

AFIP-7 Tomography – 2013 Status Report

This project seeks to assess the geometric stability of the U-Mo monolithic fuel system by evaluating the radiation-induced changes in the AFIP-7 experiment device. Neutron radiography and computed tomography (CT) provide valuable information about the post-irradiation condition of the fuel specimen. Tomographic reconstructions of the AFIP-7 fuel element will be analyzed to assess the geometric condition of the element after irradiation and provide information regarding the condition of the fuel, including gross geometric defects, bowing, twist, plate buckling, cracks, and other defects. The INL, in collaboration with Oregon State University (OSU), Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T), and Real Time Tomography, is developing advanced neutron detector systems and tomographic reconstruction techniques to evaluate the AFIP-7 fuel element. Neutron computed tomography using the current neutron radiography technique available at the Neutron Radiography reactor (NRAD) is impractical due to the long time and high cost to produce a set of images for tomographic reconstruction. Advanced neutron radiography systems such as the micro-channel plate (MCP) detector and neutron computed radiography (CR) may reduce the time and cost of acquiring images for neutron CT. The MCP detector system tested at OSU and Missouri S&T provides neutron radiographs and has lower gamma sensitivity compared to other digital acquisition image systems. However, some significant, but not prohibitive, challenges must be overcome to make its use for imaging nuclear fuel more practical. Images taken with the MCP require significant image processing to reduce distortions and correct for the dynamic detector response. Also, the small active area of the detector (~30 mm diameter) requires the collection and combination of several images of a specimen, which may become time-consuming. The MCP is tested in low gamma dose environments, but should also be tested in the gamma field at the INL. In addition to the MCP detector system, the INL is developing neutron computed radiography (CR), which uses the same foil transfer method currently employed at the NRAD, but replaces the film with a photostimulable storage phosphor imaging plate that is sensitive to the decay radiation from the activated transfer foils. Preliminary tests show that neutron CR provides lower, but comparable spatial resolution properties to film radiography images using the transfer method technique already employed at the NRAD. However, there are many factors that affect the spatial resolution of neutron CR that can be adjusted and possibly provide spatial resolution properties that exceed film radiography. The reduction in cost of neutron CR may be significant, which would make neutron imaging more appealing to programs that would benefit from this rare and valuable capability. Because transfer method neutron radiography is expensive and time-consuming, acquisition of a full set of radiographs for tomographic reconstruction is impractical. The INL is developing tomographic reconstruction techniques that require only a small set of radiographs of the AFIP-7 fuel element. These tomosynthesis techniques are tested using archived radiographs of TREAT experiments for CT as a proof of principle. These same techniques are applied to radiographs taken with an MCP detector of a mock-up of the AFIP-7 geometry. Acquisition angle should at least match the curvature of AFIP-7 plates. Lateral (in-plane) reconstruction resolution will be best when the projection angles include views at or near the desired reconstruction view angles. The ends of the fuel plates are angled at ±17.7° relative to the center of the plate. Increasing the number of projections is desirable, but given the constraint of minimizing the number of projections, the projection acquisition angle should also span at least ±17.7° to optimize the lateral resolution of the angled reconstruction planes used to visualize the gaps at the ends of the fuel plates. If possible, enough projections should be used within the initial acquisition angle of 35.4° (±17.7°) to bring the projection angular sampling closer to 1°. Further testing will determine a more specific recommendation for the number and angular distribution of neutron radiographs that will produce the highest quality tomographic reconstruction of the AFIP-7 fuel element.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Laboratory Evaluation of a Natural Gas–Based Foamed Fracturing Fluid

Abstract Foams have been used as hydraulic fracturing fluids to reduce water usage and minimize the potentially deleterious impact on water-sensitive formations. Traditionally, carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2) have been used as the internal phase in these foamed fluids. Hydraulic fracturing with natural gas (NG) is a relatively inexpensive option, particularly if NG produced from the wellhead can be used without significant processing. In an ongoing program sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE), an alternative fracturing process is being developed that uses NG-based foam. Previously, the optimal thermodynamic pathway was identified to transform wellhead NG into pressurized NG suitable for use as the internal phase in a foamed fracturing fluid. Recent work has focused on preparing a NG-based foam at surface conditions typically encountered in hydraulic fracturing and measuring the stability and rheological properties of the foam. In addition, the transient response of the foam during fracture initiation was simulated using a fast-acting solenoid valve. A single base-fluid mixture was prepared by combining a commercially available viscosifier and foaming surfactant with water. The base fluid was then injected into a tee using a water pump. Simultaneously, liquefied natural gas (LNG) was pressurized using a cryogenic pump, vaporized using a heat exchanger, and injected into the tee to mix with the base fluid and generate foam. The foam then flowed through approximately 300 ft of 0.312-in. inside diameter (ID) tubing equipped with pressure transducers at several locations. The test fixture included a sight glass to visually inspect the quality of the foam. This paper reports on findings related to foam stability and rheology and compares these results to previous studies on foamed fracturing fluids.

Beck, Griffin↗
DOE OSTI2023

Evaluation of a Sulfate Solubility Limit Greater Than 0.65 Weight Percent in Sludge Batch 10 Glasses

Previous laboratory-scale crucible testing with batch chemicals confirmed that the sulfate (SO 4 2- ) limit for Sludge Batch 10 (SB10) was 0.65 weight percent (wt.%) in glass. This limit signifies that 0.65 wt.% SO 4 2- can be retained in the glass without the formation of a sulfate phase. The Defense Waste Processing Facility imposes this constraint in the Material Tracking Program. Based on preliminary calculations to support the Material Tracking Program, it was anticipated that transfer volumes of the monosodium titanate/sludge solids (MST/SS) stream from the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) may need to be reduced to maintain projected sulfate concentrations below 0.65 wt.% in glass. Savannah River Mission Completion requested that the Savannah River National Laboratory perform additional sulfate testing to determine whether a sulfate solubility limit greater than 0.65 wt.% is feasible for SB10, which could allow for higher transfer volumes of the MST/SS stream. This report documents the results of the testing at higher sulfate concentrations for the glass composition region defined by the most recent SB10 projection (November 2022) and Frits 473 and 625. Frit 473 was recommended for SB10 and Frit 625 was used during SB9 processing and the SB9 to SB10 transition. A total of twenty-one glass compositions were developed based on the expected compositional variables, which include sludge-only (SO) and coupled processing with the SWPF, waste loading (WL), and frit composition. The target sulfate concentrations were varied from 0.65-0.85 wt.% at 32 and 40% WL. Each glass was prepared from reagent grade chemicals and melted at 1150 °C. Visual observations were used to confirm the presence of a sulfate salt phase on the cooled glass surfaces. Representative samples of each glass were submitted for chemical composition analysis by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy and Cs analysis by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Overall the majority of mean measured values are consistent with the target values for each major oxide of interest with less than 5% error. The percent errors for the measured SO 4 2- concentrations are generally less than 10%, which is comparable with previous sulfate solubility study measurements and acceptable. Only the SO glasses based on Frit 625 formed a sulfate phase at a 0.80 wt.% SO 4 2- target concentration at both 32 and 40% WL. The remainder of the glasses did not form a sulfate layer. Due to the formation of the sulfate phase, the limit is conservatively set at 0.70 wt.% based on the measured sulfate concentrations of 0.71 wt.% and 0.75 wt.% for these two glasses. None of the SO or coupled operation glasses based on Frit 473 formed a sulfate salt phase, which supports a sulfate limit of 0.80 wt.%. The following SO 4 2- concentration limits are recommended during SO and coupled SB10 processing: (1) 0.70 wt.% during processing with Frit 625, and (2) 0.80 wt.% during processing with Frit 473.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2019

A Balanced Approach to Molded Case Circuit Breaker Maintenance

Abstract – NFPA 70E mandates that "overcurrent devices shall be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions or industry consensus standards". At our laboratory this mandate is law, because 10 CFR 851 requires adherence to NFPA 70 and 70E. This begs the question, exactly what are those manufacturer's instructions, and what do the industry consensus standards require? In particular with Molded Case Circuit Breakers (MCCB's), how does one meet these requirements and still apply a balanced approach in a maintenance program when the facilities range from brand new construction to over fifty years old, and where circuit breakers exist that have been made by virtually every major manufacturer? This paper examines the instructions given by the various manufacturers, and examines the standards that exist, along with major guides and white paper recommendations. Both the consistencies and the inconsistencies are examined, recommendations are compared, and a general consensus of recommendations emerges. The various maintenance particulars are examined, from cycling of breakers and thermography to inverse thermal and instantaneous primary injection trip testing. The results of an FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) was conducted at our facility; the results of that FMEA and the recommendations of that FMEA for maintenance of MCCB’s are presented. In this paper, we have examined the recommendations of manufacturers, standards, and guides that provide the guidelines for maintenance of molded case circuit breakers. Although many conflicts exist, a consensus of nearly universal recommendations emerges. A balanced approach to maintenance that provides the maximum safety benefit within the bounds of economic feasibility can be developed. We provide a condensation of the existing literature with references, a visual summary of that literature and propose a recommended maintenance approach.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Occupancy-Driven Stochastic Decision Framework for Ranking Commercial Building Loads

For effective integration of building operations into the evolving demand response programs of the power grid, real-time decisions concerning the use of building appliances for grid services must excel on multiple criteria, ranging from the added value to occupants' comfort to the quality of the grid services. In this paper, we present a data-driven stochastic decision-support framework to dynamically rank load control alternatives in a commercial building, addressing the needs of multiple decision criteria (e.g. occupant comfort, grid service quality) under uncertainties in occupancy patterns. We adopt a stochastic multi-criteria decision algorithm recently applied to prioritize residential on/off loads, and extend it to i) consider complex load control decisions (e.g. dimming of lights, changing zone temperature set-points) in a commercial building; and ii) systematically integrate zonal occupancy patterns to better identify short-term (and time-varying) opportunities for grid service participation. We evaluate the performance of the proposed framework for curtailment of air-conditioning, lighting, and plug-loads in a multi-zone commercial office building for a range of design choices. With the help of a prototype system that integrates an interactive \textit{Data Analytics and Visualization} frontend we demonstrate a way for the building operators to monitor and change in real-time the available flexibility in energy consumption and to develop trust in the decision recommendations by interpreting the rationale behind the ranking.

Jain, Milan↗
DOE OSTI2020

Frequent Fulcrum Functions: The Basics of SCALE’s Graphical User Interface [Slides]

This tutorial introduces the Fulcrum graphical user interface and the basic functions that enhance the common activities of creating, editing, navigating, executing, and visualizing SCALE input files. This tutorial will help you become familiar with the Fulcrum input file text editor and the integrated input development environment features of autocompletion, automatic checking, cursor context, and input navigation. In addition, the Fulcrum and SCALE runtime environment will be reviewed to improve the understanding of job execution workflow. This tutorial does not cover data and geometry plotting. Please see the Advanced User Interface Capabilities tutorial for details regarding plotting data and geometry. No prior experience with SCALE is required. You can follow along using SCALE 6.2 or 6.3-beta.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Overview of the Tolerance Limit Calculations with Application to TSURFER

To establish confidence in the results of computerized physics models, a key regulatory requirement is to develop a scientifically defendable process. The methods employed for confidence, characterization, and consolidation, or C3, are statistically involved and are often accessible only to avid statisticians. This manuscript serves as a pedagogical presentation of the C3 process to all stakeholders—including researchers, industrial practitioners, and regulators—to impart an intuitive understanding of the key concepts and mathematical methods entailed by C3. The primary focus is on calculation of tolerance limits, which is the overall goal of the C3 process. Tolerance limits encode the confidence in the calculation results as communicated to the regulator. Understanding the C3 process is especially critical today, as the nuclear industry is considering more innovative ways to assess new technologies, including new reactor and fuel concepts, via an integrated approach that optimally combines modeling and simulation and minimal targeted validation experiments. This manuscript employs intuitive, analytical, numerical, and visual representations to explain how tolerance limits may be calculated for a wide range of configurations, and it also describes how their values may be interpreted. Various verification tests have been developed to test the calculated tolerance limits and to help delineate their values. The manuscript demonstrates the calculation of tolerance limits for TSURFER, a computer code developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for criticality safety applications. The goal is to evaluate the tolerance limit for TSURFER-determined criticality biases to support the determination of upper, subcritical limits for regulatory purposes.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Hanford Double-Shell Tank Extent-of-Condition Construction Review

During routine visual inspections of Hanford double-shell waste tank 241-AY-102 (AY-102), anomalies were identified on the annulus floor which resulted in further evaluations. Following a formal leak assessment in October 2012, Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS) determined that the primary tank of AY-102 was leaking. The formal leak assessment, documented in RPP-ASMT-53793,Tank 241-AY-102 Leak Assessment Report, identified first-of-a-kind construction difficulties and trial-and-error repairs as major contributing factors to tank failure. To determine if improvements in double-shell tank (DST) construction occurred after construction of tank AY-102, a detailed review and evaluation of historical construction records were performed for the first three DST tank farms constructed, which included tanks 241-AY-101, 241-AZ-101, 241-AZ-102, 241-SY-101, 241-SY-102, and 241-SY-103. The review for these six tanks involved research and review of dozens of boxes of historical project documentation. These reviews form a basis to better understand the current condition of the three oldest Hanford DST farms. They provide a basis for changes to the current tank inspection program and also provide valuable insight into future tank use decisions. If new tanks are constructed in the future, these reviews provide valuable "lessons-learned" information about expected difficulties as well as construction practices and techniques that are likely to be successful.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

Development of a Technology Roadmap for Online Monitoring of Nuclear Power Plants

The nuclear power industry has recently recognized the potential cost saving that can be achieved from migrating the current manual and labor dependent surveillance and preventive maintenance activities to data-driven online monitoring methods. Since then, several efforts have been launched with various degrees of momentum to tackle specific surveillance or preventive maintenance activities. The light water reactor sustainability program (LWRS) program has anticipated this need and launched an effort that aimed to develop a technology roadmap for the nuclear power industry. Because the roadmap has to be focused towards the user or application’s value, and because nuclear power plants have different process efficiencies and deficiencies, the technology roadmap has to be plant independent. Achieving this objective required optimizing the extent of details described by a technology roadmap. The approach followed is for the roadmap to describe the sequence of activities needed to automate a process or equipment activity, but not describe the sequence of processes or equipment to target. For example, the steps required to migrate the inspection of a pump are plant independent. However, defining that the migration of feed water pumps inspections to online monitoring should be performed before inspections of feed water valves is dependent on multiple plant factors such as the plant requirements, labor work capacity, and process or equipment conditions. The technology roadmap was broken down into six elements, four of which have a sequential path of advancement, while the other two are supporting elements to the sequential elements. The sequential part of the roadmap analyzes data collection, analytics, visualization, and management. For these elements of the technology roadmap, the migration of an activity is defined in three states. The base state is defined as the most primitive, manual, and labor dependent process used by some nuclear power plants. The modern state is defined as the state that can be achieved if the activities are augmented or replaced by current technologies that are commercially available or are soon to be available. The state of the art is defined as using technologies of the future, i.e. concept and technologies that are being researched. The data collection part of the technology roadmap defines three states of every process performed in a nuclear power plant. However, the data analytics part is described based on equipment, because automating an activity performed on one equipment required considering multiple data sources. The visualization and data management elements are process or equipment independent. Visualization describes the means to use human factor science and technologies advancement in presenting the data collected and the data analytics results. The data management targets storage, communication, and computational power need, in addition to data integration and sharing. Since storage, communication, and computational power technologies and path for deployment are known to any information technology organization, this effort targeted the cost of data management. This has a direct impact on the feasibility of the automation effort. The supporting elements analyzes the value of automating the activity and the change challenges to tackle. For the support elements, the roadmap targeted describing activities that need to be performed as part of the roadmap development. The value element of the roadmap describes how to analyze the cost saving and the associated risk. The change management identifies multiple factors to consider such as regulation, cybersecurity, resource availability, supporting infrastructure availability, feasibility (power, fitness, environment tolerance, facilities), and cultural change.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-CAMPUS-T-06: Initial Experience of Patient-Specific QA Using a Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Therapy System

Purpose: To illustrate patient QA results for the first 10 patients treated at Scripps Proton Center by comparing point dose measurement using an ion chamber and in-house developed secondary MU program, and the measurement of 2D dose distribution using an ion chamber array. Methods: At the time of writing, 10 patient plans were approved for treatment using Varian ProBeam pencil beam scanning system and Eclipse treatment planning software. We used the IBA CC04 0.04 cm3 ion chamber and PTW Unidos E electrometer for point dose measurement in a small water tank (Sun Nuclear 1D scanner). We developed independent MU check software based on measured pencil beam dose profiles for various energies. We used PTW Octavius 729 XDR array to evaluate 2D planar dose distribution. The 3D gamma at 3%/3 mm local dose was used to compare a 3D calculated dose plan with a 2D measured dose distribution using PTW Verisoft software. All fields were exported to a verification phantom plan and delivered at 0 degrees for simplicity. Results: Comparisons between the CC04 ion chamber measurement and calculated dose agree well within 1%. The PTW Octavius 729 XDR array exhibited some dose rate dependence in high dose rate pencil beam delivery. Nevertheless, the results, used as a relative measurement, passed the gamma criteria of 3%/3mm for greater than 90% of area in all patient fields. Visual inspection showed good agreement between ion chamber dose profile and the calculated plan. The in-house secondary check for MU agreed very well with the plan dose and measurement. The results will be updated with more patients treated. Conclusion: The initial patient specific QA results are encouraging for a new pencil beam scanning only proton therapy system.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Bubble Mass Transport Measurement in the Large-Scale Test Loops at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Molten salts are complex fluids that incorporate multi-phase behavior depending on the chemistry and the physical properties of the entrained components. These components include the carrier salt, the actinide fuel, and fission, activation, and corrosion products, the concentrations of which depends on the burnup history of the salt. Radionuclide transport from the salt into the cover gas / off-gas system depends on volatility as predicted by thermochemistry, but data from the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) conducted in the late 1960s suggest that bubble formation and transport are also important. Anomalously high fractions of noble metals were found in the off-gas system and were attributed to transportation with parent salt aerosols and their association with rising noble gas bubbles. The prediction of such phenomena requires coupled neutronic, thermal hydraulic, and chemical equilibrium calculations, the framework of which is being developed within the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). However, separate effects tests and models of experiments using tools such as SAM and Thermochimica can guide model developers through important processes. Conversely, model development guides the choice of experiments and systems to provide data that are relevant for validation. This report describes several experiments that tracked gas transport in molten salts, ranging from small-scale systems to large-scale loops. Gas transportation in a molten salt, LiCl-KCl, has been studied using the shadowgraph technique. Sensors such as residual gas analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy have been tested for off-gas measurements. These data were used to interpret how the gases move through the upstream salt / cover gas and the interface between them. Differential pressure measurements were able to detect individual gas bubbles as they popped at the liquid–gas interface. Salt aerosols were collected on a cascade impactor. Their formation was also observed directly via the shadowgraph method, and most of these aerosols were launched ballistically into the cover gas. Fine mists could also be observed. Convection currents through the salt were visualized and can be used to calculate the thermophysical properties of the salt itself. The apparatuses described in this report and in a previous work (McFarlane et al. 2023) have been commissioned and are available for use in making further measurements of salt/surrogate fission product behavior. Novel approaches using neutron imaging are planned for the study of fluoride salts, which cannot be contained in quartz, so shadowgraph visualization is not available. Bubble transport in convective flow and in a slow-moving salt column are planned. The mobile laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system is available for several applications, including iodine capture in a molten hydroxide scrubber, H2 transport though molten salts to complement Raman analysis, and online tracking of salt aerosol generation, transport, and deposition. This report summarizes the findings from FY24 and the plans for FY25. The work completes milestone M2AT-24OR0702013 of the DOE-NE Advanced Reactor Technology, Molten Salt Reactor Campaign, DOE-NE-5.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-T-570: New Quality Assurance Method Using Motion Tracking for 6D Robotic Couches

Purpose: To accommodate geometrically accurate patient positioning, a robotic couch that is capable of 6-degrees of freedom has been introduced. However, conventional couch QA methods are not sufficient to enable the necessary accuracy of tests. Therefore, we have developed a camera based motion detection and geometry calibration system for couch QA. Methods: Employing a Visual-Tracking System (VTS, BonitaB10, Vicon, UK) which tracks infrared reflective(IR) markers, camera calibration was conducted using a 5.7 × 5.7 × 5.7 cm{sup 3} cube attached with IR markers at each corner. After positioning a robotic-couch at the origin with the cube on the table top, 3D coordinates of the cube’s eight corners were acquired by VTS in the VTS coordinate system. Next, positions in reference coordinates (roomcoordinates) were assigned using the known relation between each point. Finally, camera calibration was completed by finding a transformation matrix between VTS and reference coordinate systems and by applying a pseudo inverse matrix method. After the calibration, the accuracy of linear and rotational motions as well as couch sagging could be measured by analyzing the continuously acquired data of the cube while the couch moves to a designated position. Accuracy of the developed software was verified through comparison with measurement data when using a Laser tracker (FARO, Lake Mary, USA) for a robotic-couch installed for proton therapy. Results: VTS system could track couch motion accurately and measured position in room-coordinates. The VTS measurements and Laser tracker data agreed within 1% of difference for linear and rotational motions. Also because the program analyzes motion in 3-Dimension, it can compute couch sagging. Conclusion: Developed QA system provides submillimeter/ degree accuracy which fulfills the high-end couch QA. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning. (2013M2A2A7043507 and 2012M3A9B6055201)

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Impact of compressed breast thickness and dose on lesion detectability in digital mammography: FROC study with simulated lesions in real mammograms

Purpose: The aim of this work was twofold: (1) to examine whether, with standard automatic exposure control (AEC) settings that maintain pixel values in the detector constant, lesion detectability in clinical images decreases as a function of breast thickness and (2) to verify whether a new AEC setup can increase lesion detectability at larger breast thicknesses. Methods: Screening patient images, acquired on two identical digital mammography systems, were collected over a period of 2 yr. Mammograms were acquired under standard AEC conditions (part 1) and subsequently with a new AEC setup (part 2), programmed to use the standard AEC settings for compressed breast thicknesses ≤49 mm, while a relative dose increase was applied above this thickness. The images were divided into four thickness groups: T1 ≤ 29 mm, T2 = 30–49 mm, T3 = 50–69 mm, and T4 ≥ 70 mm, with each thickness group containing 130 randomly selected craniocaudal lesion-free images. Two measures of density were obtained for every image: a BI-RADS score and a map of volumetric breast density created with a software application (VolparaDensity, Matakina, NZ). This information was used to select subsets of four images, containing one image from each thickness group, matched to a (global) BI-RADS score and containing a region with the same (local) VOLPARA volumetric density value. One selected lesion (a microcalcification cluster or a mass) was simulated into each of the four images. This process was repeated so that, for a given thickness group, half the images contained a single lesion and half were lesion-free. The lesion templates created and inserted in groups T3 and T4 for the first part of the study were then inserted into the images of thickness groups T3 and T4 acquired with higher dose settings. Finally, all images were visualized using the ViewDEX software and scored by four radiologists performing a free search study. A statistical jackknife-alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic analysis was applied. Results: For part 1, the alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic curves for the four readers were 0.80, 0.65, 0.55 and 0.56 in going from T1 to T4, indicating a decrease in detectability with increasing breast thickness. P-values and the 95% confidence interval showed no significant difference for the T3-T4 comparison (p = 0.78) while all the other differences were significant (p < 0.05). Separate analysis of microcalcification clusters presented the same results while for mass detection, the only significant difference came when comparing T1 to the other thickness groups. Comparing the scores of part 1 and part 2, results for the T3 group acquired with the new AEC setup and T3 group at standard AEC doses were significantly different (p = 0.0004), indicating improved detection. For this group a subanalysis for microcalcification detection gave the same results while no significant difference was found for mass detection. Conclusions: These data using clinical images confirm results found in simple QA tests for many mammography systems that detectability falls as breast thickness increases. Results obtained with the AEC setup for constant detectability above 49 mm showed an increase in lesion detection with compressed breast thickness, bringing detectability of lesions to the same level.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Human Factors Principles in Information Dashboard Design - 278

Refueling outages remain one of the largest opportunities for improving capacity factor and reducing costs available to commercial nuclear power plants. Although the nuclear industry has made steady improvement in outage optimization, each day of a refueling outage still represents an opportunity to save millions of dollars and each day an outage extends past its planned end date represents millions of dollars that may have been spent unnecessarily. Reducing planned outage duration or preventing outage extensions requires careful management of the outage schedule as well as constant oversight and monitoring of work completion during the outage execution. During a typical outage, there are typically more than 10,000 activities on the schedule that, if not managed efficiently, may cause expensive outage delays. Management of outages currently relies largely on paper-based resources and general-purpose office software. A typical method currently used to monitor work performance is a burn-down curve, where total remaining activities are plotted against the baseline schedule to track bulk work completion progress. While methods like this are useful, there is still considerable uncertainty during a typical outage whether bulk work progress is adequate and therefore a lot of management time is spent analyzing the situation on a daily basis. This paper is a case study of how new technology, in combination with established human-factors and user-centered design knowledge, can be used to support Outage Control Center (OCC) personnel decision making. In particular, we describe recent advances made in developing a framework for the design of visual outage information presentation, as well as an overview of the human factors principles that informed the development of the visualizations. To test the utility of advanced visual outage information presentation, an outage management dashboard software application was created as part of the Department of Energy's Advanced Outage Control Center project (AOCC). This dashboard is intended to present all the critical information an outage manager would need to understand the current status of a refueling outage. The dashboard presents the critical path, bulk work performance, key performance indicators, outage milestones and metrics relating current performance to historical performance. Additionally, the dashboard includes data analysis tools to allow outage managers to drill down into the underlying data to understand the drivers of the indicators. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Visualization of the High-Burnup Spent Fuel Rod Phase 1 Test Plan: Technical Memo - Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition (Technical Memo)

Twenty-five high-burnup fuel rods were extracted from seven different fuel assemblies used for power production at the North Anna nuclear power plant and shipped to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in 2016 for detailed non-destructive examination (NDE) and destructive examination (DE). The spent fuel rods were from 17×17 lattices and consist of four cladding types—Zirlo ® , M5 ® , Zircaloy-4, and low tin Zircaloy-4 (Zirc-4). These spent fuel rods are being tested to provide: (a) baseline characterization and mechanical property data that can be used as a comparison to fuel that was loaded into a modified TN-32B cask in November 2017, as part of the high-burnup confirmatory data project and (b) data applicable to high-burnup fuel rods (>45 GWd/MTU) currently stored and to be stored in the dry-cask fleet. The TN-32B cask is referred to as the “Demo” cask and is currently expected to be transported to a separate location and the internal contents inspected in approximately ten years. ORNL has completed the NDE of the twenty-five fuel rods. The purpose of this technical memorandum is to present a simplified summary of the first phase of destructive examinations and test conditions that will be used for communicating with various stakeholders. The destructive examinations will leverage the expertise and capabilities from multiple national laboratories for performing independent measurements of relevant data. Close coordination is required to ensure that all examinations follow well documented procedures and are performed so that measured data and characteristics can be readily compared. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has published a detailed overview of the test program. ORNL and PNNL developed detailed draft test plans for testing to be performed at their facilities. ORNL and PNNL are in the process of refining these test plans to apply specifically to the testing described in this memorandum. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) contributed to the ORNL test plan by describing tests to be conducted at ANL. Testing will be based on continuous learning. If a test produces results that are inconsistent with expectations or current trends, further testing will be paused until a path forward is established to understand the results and to identify follow-on testing.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗