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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 685 records · Page 38
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Performing In Situ Closed-Cell Gas Reactions in the Transmission Electron Microscope

Gas reactions studied by in situ electron microscopy can be used to capture the real-time morphological and microchemical transformations of materials at length scales down to the atomic level. In situ closed-cell gas reaction (CCGR) studies performed using (scanning) transmission electron microscopy (STEM) can separate and identify localized dynamic reactions, which are extremely challenging to capture using other characterization techniques. For these experiments, we used a CCGR holder that utilizes microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based heating microchips (hereafter referred to as "E-chips"). The experimental protocol described here details the method for performing in situ gas reactions in dry and wet gases in an aberration-corrected STEM. This method finds relevance in many different materials systems, such as catalysis and high-temperature oxidation of structural materials at atmospheric pressure and in the presence of various gases with or without water vapor. Here, several sample preparation methods are described for various material form factors. During the reaction, mass spectra obtained with a residual gas analyzer (RGA) system with and without water vapor further validates gas exposure conditions during reactions. Integrating an RGA with an in situ CCGR-STEM system can, therefore, provide critical insight to correlate gas composition with the dynamic surface evolution of materials during reactions. In situ/operando studies using this approach allow for detailed investigation of the fundamental reaction mechanisms and kinetics that occur at specific environmental conditions (time, temperature, gas, pressure), in real-time, and at high spatial resolution.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Hardware Specification and Reference Design for the Low-Cost, Interoperable, User-Centric, Supervisory Controller Kit for Small and Medium Size Commercial Buildings

Commercial buildings are responsible for approximately 20 percent of the total United States energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Over 85 percent of these buildings lack building automation systems to manage the various building systems they have. Many of these buildings are small (< 50,000 square feet), underserved, and use rooftop units (RTUs) for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning needs. Because these buildings lack proper control systems, they have several operational deficiencies that lead to excess energy consumption. Studies have shown that managing the RTU’s heating and cooling setpoints, schedules, setbacks, and optimal start times can result in 20 to 25 percent reduction in electricity consumption in small and medium commercial buildings (SMBs). In addition, improving the demand flexibility of these buildings will result in additional cost savings for the building owner. To address the needs of the SMBs, the Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office jointly funded Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to design, develop, test, and validate a low-cost, interoperable, user-centric, retrofit supervisory controller kit (SC-SMB) that can be used to continuously optimize energy consumption and deliver demand flexibility of SMBs, including all-electric buildings, and provide a means for maximizing decarbonization benefits. The team also includes industry partners Edo and Intellimation. Previously, the team drafted an SC-SMB system specification document (Goodman et al. 2023). This document describes a reference design of a low-cost supervisory control system for SMBs, including the various hardware components, software system, and an example implementation of the reference design. The final release of the reference design is planned for December 2025. Section 2.0 of the report documents the relevant building types that the SC-SMB system is suitable for. Section 3.0 documents the various hardware components, their function, cost, whether they are off-the-shelve, support standard communication, etc., and the software system. An example deployment in a 10,000-sf building with six rooftop units, a hot water heater, solar, and storage is described in Section 4.0. The planned next steps are described in Section 5.0, and references are listed in Section 6.0.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2015

Rationale for the Performance Specification for Standardized Transportation, Aging, and Disposal Canister Systems (Rev.1)

This document provides the rationale for the specifications for the standardized transportation, aging, and disposal (STAD) canister systems provided in Performance Specification for Standardized Transportation, Aging, and Disposal Canister Systems, FCRD-NFST-2014-000579, Rev. 2, referred to as STAD Spec herein. The STAD Spec was developed to support STAD canister system studies and potential research, development, and demonstration activities. Requirements in the specification may evolve with time based on results from analyses, experiments, design studies, system evaluations and demonstrations, as well as other factors. The STAD canister system consists of a canister, together with a storage or aging overpack/module/vault, a shielded transfer cask (STC), a site transporter, a transportation overpack, and a transportation skid. Three sizes of circular cross section STAD canister variants are specified. The small STAD canister capacity is four pressurized water reactor (PWR) or nine boiling water reactor (BWR) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) assemblies. The medium STAD canister capacity is 12 PWR or 32 BWR SNF assemblies. The large STAD canister capacity is 21 PWR or 44 BWR SNF assemblies. There are 60 specifications in the STAD Spec that cover the STAD canister general design attributes, canister safety functional requirements, operational considerations, materials, storage and aging system requirements, and transportation system requirements. The 60 specifications are derived from regulatory requirements, regulatory guidance, STAD canister disposability considerations, and interim storage facility (ISF) and geologic repository handling facility considerations.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Quantification of biogenic volatile organic compounds with a flame ionization detector using the effective carbon number concept

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) are emitted into the atmosphere by plants and include isoprene, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and their oxygenated derivatives. These BVOCs are among the principal factors influencing the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere in forested regions. BVOC emission rates are often measured by collecting samples onto adsorptive cartridges in the field and then transporting these samples to the laboratory for chromatographic analysis. One of the most commonly used detectors in chromatographic analysis is the flame ionization detector (FID). For quantitative analysis with an FID, relative response factors may be estimated using the effective carbon number (ECN) concept. The purpose of this study was to determine the ECN for a variety of terpenoid compounds to enable improved quantification of BVOC measurements. A dynamic dilution system was developed to make quantitative gas standards of VOCs with mixing ratios from 20–55 ppb. For each experiment using this system, one terpene standard was co-injected with an internal reference, n-octane, and analyzed via an automated cryofocusing system interfaced to a gas chromatograph flame ionization detector and mass spectrometer (GC/MS/FID). The ECNs of 16 compounds (14 BVOCs) were evaluated with this approach, with each test compound analyzed at least three times. The difference between the actual carbon number and measured ECN ranged from -24% to -2%. Furthermore, the difference between theoretical ECN and measured ECN ranged from -22% to 9%. Measured ECN values were within 10% of theoretical ECN values for most terpenoid compounds.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2018

Data Acquisition System of Nobeyama MKID Camera

We are developing a superconducting camera based on microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) to observe 100-GHz continuum with the Nobeyama 45-m telescope. A data acquisition (DAQ) system for the camera has been designed to operate the MKIDs with the telescope. This system is required to connect the telescope control system (COSMOS) to the readout system of the MKIDs (MKID DAQ) which employs the frequency-sweeping probe scheme. The DAQ system is also required to record the reference signal of the beam switching for the demodulation by the analysis pipeline in order to suppress the sky fluctuation. The system has to be able to merge and save all data acquired both by the camera and by the telescope, including the cryostat temperature and pressure and the telescope pointing. A collection of software which implements these functions and works as a TCP/IP server on a workstation was developed. The server accepts commands and observation scripts from COSMOS and then issues commands to MKID DAQ to configure and start data acquisition. We made a commissioning of the MKID camera on the Nobeyama 45-m telescope and obtained successful scan signals of the atmosphere and of the Moon.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2013

Robustness of predator-prey models for confinement regime transitions in fusion plasmas

Energy transport and confinement in tokamak fusion plasmas is usually determined by the coupled nonlinear interactions of small-scale drift turbulence and larger scale coherent nonlinear structures, such as zonal flows, together with free energy sources such as temperature gradients. Zero-dimensional models, designed to embody plausible physical narratives for these interactions, can help to identify the origin of enhanced energy confinement and of transitions between confinement regimes. A prime zero-dimensional paradigm is predator-prey or Lotka-Volterra. Here, we extend a successful three-variable (temperature gradient; microturbulence level; one class of coherent structure) model in this genre [M. A. Malkov and P. H. Diamond, Phys. Plasmas 16, 012504 (2009)], by adding a fourth variable representing a second class of coherent structure. This requires a fourth coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equation. We investigate the degree of invariance of the phenomenology generated by the model of Malkov and Diamond, given this additional physics. We study and compare the long-time behaviour of the three-equation and four-equation systems, their evolution towards the final state, and their attractive fixed points and limit cycles. We explore the sensitivity of paths to attractors. It is found that, for example, an attractive fixed point of the three-equation system can become a limit cycle of the four-equation system. Addressing these questions which we together refer to as 'robustness' for convenience is particularly important for models which, as here, generate sharp transitions in the values of system variables which may replicate some key features of confinement transitions. Our results help to establish the robustness of the zero-dimensional model approach to capturing observed confinement phenomenology in tokamak fusion plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

One System Overview - 16579

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of River Protection (ORP) is responsible for managing and completing the River Protection Project mission, which is to 'safeguard the nuclear waste stored in Hanford's 177 underground tanks, and to manage the waste safely and responsibly until it can be treated in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant for final disposition'. The Office of River Protection's work scope is currently performed through two primary contracts: - The Tank Operations Contract, held by Washington River Protection Solutions LLC, (WRPS) includes the construction, operation, and maintenance activities necessary to safely store, retrieve, and transfer tank wastes; provide supplemental tank waste treatment; provide storage and/or disposal of primary and secondary waste streams; design, construction and commissioning of the Low-Activity Waste Pretreatment System; and support ORP to integrate Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) completion and startup with Tank Farms operations. - The WTP Contract, held by Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI), includes the design, construction, and commissioning of a Pretreatment Facility, two vitrification facilities (one for high-level waste and one for low-activity waste), a dedicated analytical laboratory, and supporting facilities to treat radioactive tank wastes by immobilizing them into a stable glass waste form. One System was established as a means to improve the integration between the tank farms and the WTP project to support its safe and successful startup. One System's scope and purpose focus on mission integration consistent with DOE's plans to treat tank waste in phases, starting with direct feed of the low-activity waste stream to the WTP's Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Vitrification Facility (referred to as DFLAW). The One System organization now has four major focus areas: - Flowsheet Integration? Integrated River Protection Project (RPP) flowsheet development and management; developing a gaps, risks, and opportunities management plan and technical roadmap; and waste feed qualification. - Mission Analysis and Planning? Strategic planning, system planning, and modeling integration. - WTP Startup, Commissioning, and Operations Integration? Interface Control Document (ICD) management, coordinating facilities startup-to-commissioning-to-operations, contract directives and standards identification, and DFLAW program integration. - Project Integration and Controls? Integrated schedule, metrics/dashboards monitoring, and One System risk register. ORP established the DFLAW Program Office in February 2015 as one of its key performance goals. ORP staff, along with contractor managers, have identified roles and responsibilities for the each of the four major focus areas. One System has established an Executive Council and Governance Board to drive program progress and make decisions on DFLAW. This approach allows appropriate government and contractor senior management involvement in the DFLAW Program. Monthly critical path analysis on the integrated DFLAW schedule is being performed. Interface control documents specific to DFLAW have been developed, and system planning and modeling tools are being used to help define the DFLAW flowsheet. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2012

Linearization of dose-response curve of the radiochromic film dosimetry system

Purpose: Despite numerous advantages of radiochromic film dosimeter (high spatial resolution, near tissue equivalence, low energy dependence) to measure a relative dose distribution with film, one needs to first measure an absolute dose (following previously established reference dosimetry protocol) and then convert measured absolute dose values into relative doses. In this work, we present result of our efforts to obtain a functional form that would linearize the inherently nonlinear dose-response curve of the radiochromic film dosimetry system. Methods: Functional form [{zeta}= (-1){center_dot}netOD{sup (2/3)}/ln(netOD)] was derived from calibration curves of various previously established radiochromic film dosimetry systems. In order to test the invariance of the proposed functional form with respect to the film model used we tested it with three different GAFCHROMIC Trade-Mark-Sign film models (EBT, EBT2, and EBT3) irradiated to various doses and scanned on a same scanner. For one of the film models (EBT2), we tested the invariance of the functional form to the scanner model used by scanning irradiated film pieces with three different flatbed scanner models (Epson V700, 1680, and 10000XL). To test our hypothesis that the proposed functional argument linearizes the response of the radiochromic film dosimetry system, verification tests have been performed in clinical applications: percent depth dose measurements, IMRT quality assurance (QA), and brachytherapy QA. Results: Obtained R{sup 2} values indicate that the choice of the functional form of the new argument appropriately linearizes the dose response of the radiochromic film dosimetry system we used. The linear behavior was insensitive to both film model and flatbed scanner model used. Measured PDD values using the green channel response of the GAFCHROMIC Trade-Mark-Sign EBT3 film model are well within {+-}2% window of the local relative dose value when compared to the tabulated Cobalt-60 data. It was also found that criteria of 3%/3 mm for an IMRT QA plan and 3%/2 mm for a brachytherapy QA plan are passing 95% gamma function points. Conclusions: In this paper, we demonstrate the use of functional argument to linearize the inherently nonlinear response of a radiochromic film based reference dosimetry system. In this way, relative dosimetry can be conveniently performed using radiochromic film dosimetry system without the need of establishing calibration curve.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Integrated Safety Management System Description (PG470252) (V.10)

Personnel at Sandia National Laboratories (hereinafter referred to as Sandia) comply with United States Department of Energy (DOE) Policy 450.4A, Chg 1, Integrated Safety Management Policy, and implement an Integrated Safety Management System (ISMS) to ensure safe operations. Sandia personnel integrate safety into management and work practices at all levels so missions are accomplished while protecting Members of the Workforce, the public, and the environment. As a result, safety is effectively integrated into all facets of work planning and execution. Thus the management of safety functions becomes an integral part of mission accomplishment and meets the requirements outlined in the DOE Acquisition Regulation (DEAR) 970.5223-1, Integration of Environment, Safety, and Health into Work Planning and Execution, clause incorporated by reference into the Prime Contract. The DEAR 970.5223-1, Integration of Environment, Safety, and Health into Work Planning and Execution, clause requires DOE contractors to manage and perform work in accordance with a documented Safety Management System that fulfills conditions of the DEAR clause at a minimum. For purposes of this clause, safety encompasses environment, safety, and health (ES&H), including pollution prevention and waste minimization.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Field surveying data of low-cost networked flood sensors in southeast Texas

Floods are common natural disasters worldwide and pose substantial risks to life, property, food production, and natural resources. Effective measures for flood mitigation and warning are essential. Southeast Texas is still at significant risk of flooding, and Lamar University is assisting the region with asset management of a flood sensor network for flooding events. This network provides real-time water stage information. Lamar University developed a survey program to measure elevation and coordinates at each sensor site location to make this data more useful for flood monitoring and mapping. This paper overviews the measurement of the elevation and coordinates of 74 networked flood sensors and various flood stage thresholds at critical points that flood decision-makers can use for reference at each site. In the first phase of this program, these sensors were deployed throughout a 7-county region spanning nearly 6,000 square miles in Southeast Texas. The latitude and longitude of the sensors and their elevations were determined using survey-grade Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology. Various Continually Operating Reference Stations (CORS) were utilized for post-processing to achieve sub-inch resolution. The flood stage thresholds, water level sensors elevation, and the elevations and positions of other critical surrounding points are viewable to the public through two online repositories and a web-based sensor management dashboard. The data is used to aid with decisions related to road closures or modeling efforts by mitigation decision-makers, emergency managers, and the public, including the Texas Department of Transportation, Houston Transtar, the National Weather Service, and the Sabine River Authority of Texas (SRA).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Numerical relativity in spherical coordinates: A new dynamical spacetime and general relativistic MHD evolution framework for the Einstein Toolkit

We present SphericalNR, a new framework for the publicly available Einstein Toolkit that numerically solves the Einstein field equations coupled to the equations of general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) in a 3+1 split of spacetime in spherical coordinates without symmetry assumptions. The spacetime evolution is performed using reference-metric versions of either the Baumgarte-Shapiro-Shibata-Nakamura equations or the fully covariant and conformal Z4 system with constraint damping. We have developed a reference-metric version of the Valencia formulation of GRMHD with a vector potential method, guaranteeing the absence of magnetic monopoles during the evolution. In our framework, every dynamical field (both spacetime and matter) is evolved using its components in an orthonormal basis with respect to the spherical reference metric. Furthermore, all geometric information about the spherical coordinate system is encoded in source terms appearing in the evolution equations. This allows for the straightforward extension of Cartesian high-resolution shock-capturing finite volume codes to use spherical coordinates with our framework. To this end, we have adapted GRHydro, a Cartesian finite volume GRMHD code already available in the Einstein Toolkit, to use spherical coordinates. We present the full evolution equations of the framework, as well as details of its implementation in the Einstein Toolkit. Finally, we validate SphericalNR by demonstrating it passes a variety of challenging code tests in static and dynamical spacetimes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Biomass Scenario Model Documentation: Data and References

The Biomass Scenario Model (BSM) is a system dynamics model that represents the entire biomass-to-biofuels supply chain, from feedstock to fuel use. The BSM is a complex model that has been used for extensive analyses; the model and its results can be better understood if input data used for initialization and calibration are well-characterized. It has been carefully validated and calibrated against the available data, with data gaps filled in using expert opinion and internally consistent assumed values. Most of the main data sources that feed into the model are recognized as baseline values by the industry. This report documents data sources and references in Version 2 of the BSM (BSM2), which only contains the ethanol pathway, although subsequent versions of the BSM contain multiple conversion pathways. The BSM2 contains over 12,000 total input values, with 506 distinct variables. Many of the variables are opportunities for the user to define scenarios, while others are simply used to initialize a stock, such as the initial number of biorefineries. However, around 35% of the distinct variables are defined by external sources, such as models or reports. The focus of this report is to provide insight into which sources are most influential in each area of the supply chain.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Nuclear Data Sensitivity Study for the EBR-II Fast Reactor Benchmark Using SCALE with ENDF/B-VII.1 and ENDF/B-VIII.0

The EBR-II benchmark, which was recently included in the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments, served as a basis for assessing the performance of the SCALE code system for fast reactor analyses. A reference SCALE model was developed based on the benchmark specifications. Great agreement was observed between the eigenvalue calculated with this SCALE model and the benchmark eigenvalue. To identify potential gaps and uncertainties of nuclear data for the simulation of various quantities of interest in fast spectrum systems, sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were performed for the eigenvalue, reactivity effects, and the radial power profile of EBR-II using the two most recent ENDF/B nuclear data library releases. While the nominal results are consistent between the calculations with the different libraries, the uncertainties due to nuclear data vary significantly. The major driver of observed uncertainties is the uncertainty of the 235 U ( n,γ ) reaction. Since the uncertainty of this reaction is significantly reduced in the ENDF/B-VIII.0 library compared to ENDF/B-VII.1, the obtained output uncertainties tend to be smaller in ENDF/B-VIII.0 calculations, although the decrease is partially compensated by increased uncertainties in 235 U fission and ν ¯ .

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2013

Multipoint vibrometry with dynamic and static holograms

We report on two multipoint vibrometers with user-adjustable position of the measurement spots. Both systems are using holograms for beam deflection. The measurement is based on heterodyne interferometry with a frequency difference of 5 MHz between reference and object beam. One of the systems uses programmable positioning of the spots in the object volume but is limited concerning the light efficiency. The other system is based on static holograms in combination with mechanical adjustment of the measurement spots and does not have such a general efficiency restriction. Design considerations are given and we show measurement results for both systems. In addition, we analyze the sensitivity of the systems which is a major limitation compared to single point scanning systems.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Supervisory Control System Architecture for Advanced Small Modular Reactors

This technical report was generated as a product of the Supervisory Control for Multi-Modular SMR Plants project within the Instrumentation, Control and Human-Machine Interface technology area under the Advanced Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Research and Development Program of the U.S. Department of Energy. The report documents the definition of strategies, functional elements, and the structural architecture of a supervisory control system for multi-modular advanced SMR (AdvSMR) plants. This research activity advances the state-of-the art by incorporating decision making into the supervisory control system architectural layers through the introduction of a tiered-plant system approach. The report provides a brief history of hierarchical functional architectures and the current state-of-the-art, describes a reference AdvSMR to show the dependencies between systems, presents a hierarchical structure for supervisory control, indicates the importance of understanding trip setpoints, applies a new theoretic approach for comparing architectures, identifies cyber security controls that should be addressed early in system design, and describes ongoing work to develop system requirements and hardware/software configurations.

Cetiner, Sacit M.↗
DOE OSTI2014

An optimum approximation of n-point correlation functions of random heterogeneous material systems

An approximate solution for n-point correlation functions is developed in this study. In the approximate solution, weight functions are used to connect subsets of (n-1)-point correlation functions to estimate the full set of n-point correlation functions. In previous related studies, simple weight functions were introduced for the approximation of three and four-point correlation functions. In this work, the general framework of the weight functions is extended and derived to achieve optimum accuracy for approximate n-point correlation functions. Such approximation can be utilized to construct global n-point correlation functions for a system when there exist limited information about these functions in a subset of space. To verify its accuracy, the new formulation is used to approximate numerically three-point correlation functions from the set of two-point functions directly evaluated from a virtually generated isotropic heterogeneous microstructure representing a particulate composite system. Similarly, three-point functions are approximated for an anisotropic glass fiber/epoxy composite system and compared to their corresponding reference values calculated from an experimental dataset acquired by computational tomography. Results from both virtual and experimental studies confirm the accuracy of the new approximation. The new formulation can be utilized to attain a more accurate approximation to global n-point correlation functions for heterogeneous material systems with a hierarchy of length scales.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-CAMPUS-J-05: Quantitative Investigation of Random and Systematic Uncertainties From Hardware and Software Components in the Frameless 6DBrainLAB ExacTrac System

Purpose: To evaluate setup accuracy and quantify individual systematic and random errors for the various hardware and software components of the frameless 6D-BrainLAB ExacTrac system. Methods: 35 patients with cranial lesions, some with multiple isocenters (50 total lesions treated in 1, 3, 5 fractions), were investigated. All patients were simulated with a rigid head-and-neck mask and the BrainLAB localizer. CT images were transferred to the IPLAN treatment planning system where optimized plans were generated using stereotactic reference frame based on the localizer. The patients were setup initially with infrared (IR) positioning ExacTrac system. Stereoscopic X-ray images (XC: X-ray Correction) were registered to their corresponding digitally-reconstructed-radiographs, based on bony anatomy matching, to calculate 6D-translational and rotational (Lateral, Longitudinal, Vertical, Pitch, Roll, Yaw) shifts. XC combines systematic errors of the mask, localizer, image registration, frame, and IR. If shifts were below tolerance (0.7 mm translational and 1 degree rotational), treatment was initiated; otherwise corrections were applied and additional X-rays were acquired to verify patient position (XV: X-ray Verification). Statistical analysis was used to extract systematic and random errors of the different components of the 6D-ExacTrac system and evaluate the cumulative setup accuracy. Results: Mask systematic errors (translational; rotational) were the largest and varied from one patient to another in the range (−15 to 4mm; −2.5 to 2.5degree) obtained from mean of XC for each patient. Setup uncertainty in IR positioning (0.97,2.47,1.62mm;0.65,0.84,0.96degree) was extracted from standard-deviation of XC. Combined systematic errors of the frame and localizer (0.32,−0.42,−1.21mm; −0.27,0.34,0.26degree) was extracted from mean of means of XC distributions. Final patient setup uncertainty was obtained from the standard deviations of XV (0.57,0.77,0.67mm,0.39,0.35,0.30degree). Conclusion: Statistical analysis was used to calculate cumulative and individual systematic errors from the different hardware and software components of the 6D-ExacTrac-system. Patients were treated with cumulative errors (<1mm,<1degree) with XV image guidance.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Reviewing Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Cask Storage Programs to Identify Challenges for an Integrated Waste Management System - 17535

Under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has responsibility for removing commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from nuclear power plant sites and disposing of the SNF in a deep geologic repository. However, the methods used by commercial nuclear power plants for onsite storage of their SNF define the starting conditions for DOE efforts to develop a waste management system that includes packaging, transportation, storage, and disposal of commercial SNF. The NWPA (as amended) also charges the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (Board) with evaluating the technical and scientific validity of DOE activities related to the management and disposal of SNF and high-level radioactive wastes (HLW). DOE's efforts related to developing an integrated program for storing, transporting, and disposing of SNF and HLW were the focus of a public meeting held by the Board on August 24, 2016, in Washington, D.C. To prepare for the public meeting, the Board's staff compiled information on the dry cask storage systems in service at nuclear power plant sites in order to identify issues that would need to be addressed by DOE in planning to transport SNF away from the sites. This paper is based on a briefing presented to the Board members by the Board's staff before the public meeting. Post-meeting findings and recommendations of the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board are documented in the Board letter to the Department of Energy dated December 8, 2016. A note about terminology: in this paper, the phrase 'dry cask storage system' is generic and applies to a complete system used for dry storage of commercial SNF.Within these storage systems, commercial SNF is sealed inside a container called either a cask or a canister depending upon the specific type of storage system used. This distinction is discussed in more detail in the body of this paper. When referring to the containers holding SNF in particular systems, this paper uses the terms 'casks' or 'canisters,' as appropriate. When discussing the collective group of all containers, this paper uses the phrase 'casks and canisters'. Dry cask storage of SNF is a widespread practice throughout the U.S. commercial nuclear industry. As of August 1, 2016, more than 2300 storage casks and canisters were loaded at U.S. commercial nuclear power plant sites. This number is expected to increase by more than 200 casks and canisters annually, reaching a total of approximately 4500 by 2025. Multiple vendors have developed their own unique designs of dry cask storage and transportation systems. The majority of storage system designs (75 percent) feature SNF loaded in welded stainless steel canisters that are stored in ventilated concrete overpacks that allow for convection cooling. Some older dry cask storage system designs do not include a welded stainless steel canister; instead, SNF is loaded directly into a heavily shielded metal cask to minimize radiation exposure to workers and prevent atmospheric release of radionuclides. These types of systems are sealed by O-rings compressed under a bolted lid. After loading, dry cask storage systems are located on concrete pads at Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations (ISFSI) at nuclear power plant sites and will remain there until the time when they will be transported to a consolidated interim storage facility or a deep geologic repository. Eventual transportation of canistered SNF will include removing the stainless steel canisters from the concrete overpacks, possibly repackaging the SNF, and loading the canisters into specially designed transportation casks for shipment by truck, rail, or barge. In the case of the non-canistered casks, some are approved for transportation and can be shipped after impact limiters are installed on the casks. SNF will need to be removed from casks not approved for transportation and transferred to transport-approved casks. This paper highlights five issues and challenges presented by the nuclear industry's use of dry cask storage systems that will need to be addressed by DOE in developing an integrated waste management system. One example, among the five, is that several dry-storage casks and canisters have received Nuclear Regulatory Commission certificates of compliance for storage only and do not have certificates of compliance for transportation. This will pose a challenge when the SNF must be moved to a consolidated interim storage facility or a deep geologic repository. Another example is that, when loaded with SNF, the total weight of new, larger transportation cask designs will exceed 142 metric tonnes (156 tons) which, when combined with the weight of the rail-car, will exceed the gross weight limit for unrestricted operation on some rail lines. This will also affect future transportation planning for shipments of SNF. All five issues and challenges are discussed in detail in the body of the paper. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗