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DOE OSTI2024

Corrosion Testing of Bubbler Materials for LAW Vitrification (Rev. 0)

This work involved crucible-scale corrosion tests using coupons of selected materials in the baseline glass formulations for the seven LAW Sub-Envelopes. The tests were performed with Inconel 690 and MA 758; per the Test Plan, selected tests were also performed with a proprietary high temperature alloy supplied by SRTC. Coupons of these materials were tested for their corrosion resistance to LAW baseline glasses in two test series: the first series was with a baseline glass only, the second series was with a baseline glass and an added salt layer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

Modeling and Analysis for Spent Nuclear Fuel Seismic Testing

Note: This is the final public release version of PNNL-31671 Draft, which was previously released to the sponsor for review. The intent is the public release version will be PNNL-31671. There are no significant changes from the earlier draft version. This unlimited distribution report is the deliverable for M3SF-21PN010202014: Modeling and Analysis for Spent Nuclear Fuel Seismic Testing. This report summarizes the modeling, analysis, and test plan support completed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the spent nuclear fuel dry storage system seismic test plan through May of 2021. Test plan preparation is planned to continue until the seismic test is completed in July of 2022. This report covers preliminary structural dynamic model development and computer-aided design of test hardware. Based on preliminary modeling, the strongest earthquakes under consideration in this test program provide mechanical loading on the spent nuclear fuel that is comparable to the 30 cm cask drop scenario, although the loads do not appear to be strong enough to cause significant permanent deformation of the fuel assembly spacer grids. The potential for grid deformation during the test will be assessed when the proposed shake table motion becomes available. The weakest earthquakes considered in this test are expected to be comparable to the mechanical loads witnessed in the multimodal transportation test of 2017. The horizontal canister system is predicted to provide nearly-uniform loading condition on the fuel assemblies it contains, while the vertical cask system is predicted to cause non-uniform dynamic loads on the fuel assemblies. In the horizontal case, gravity keeps the fuel assemblies in contact with one basket wall surface unless the loads are strong enough to cause a separation. In the vertical case, the fuel assemblies are relatively long and slender, and seismic motion in the anticipated test range is predicted to cause the assemblies to lean, tilt, and impact the basket walls throughout the seismic event. These gap closures are a nonlinear force transmission condition, so the vertical system is expected to have more variation and variability than the horizontal system. While the horizontal system is expected to have a relatively more linear response than the vertical system, there is still the potential for nonlinear behavior in the horizontal system because the fuel assemblies are free to slide, bounce, and impact the basket walls if the seismic loads are strong enough. One major conclusion of this study is that the use of mixed fuel assemblies in the canister will be acceptable. There are differences in overall system response when the mass, center of gravity, or gaps are changed, but the changes in response are within the bounds of a system that contains completely homogeneous fuel assemblies. One important observation is that the loading for each individual fuel assembly within the vertical canister is expected to be different from that of the others because of nonlinearities in the system. The horizontal canister system is expected to have a more uniform and more predictable response than the vertical canister, making variations in fuel assembly characteristics easier to account for. One important recommendation that comes from this modeling work is to repeat some of the strongest shake tests at different angles, particularly for the vertical cask system. Modeling predicts that strong seismic motion will cause the fuel assemblies to close initial gaps and impact the fuel basket walls when the canister is in the vertical cask configuration. Each shake test will impose a pre-defined three-dimensional time history on the cask system.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2022

PLANNING FOR NUCLEAR TESTING AFTER CORE INTERNALS CHANGEOUT #6 IN THE ADVANCED TEST REACTOR

A series of physics tests were planned for the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) after the sixth Core Internals Changeout (CIC) in 2021. These tests verify nuclear characteristics of the new reflector and shim mechanisms and are validation cases for core models. This work describes planning for these tests and compares the physics tests with those performed previously in ATR. This work also identifies unique characteristics of ATR that result in the need for unique tests.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Magnetic Gears: The Key to Robust, Cost-Effective Hydropower Drivetrains

Based on previous demonstrated success at fabricating 5 and 10 kW scale magnetic gearbox (MGB) prototypes, Emrgy and its partners (the project team) proposed to design and construct a 100 kW scale MGB with a 30:1 gear ratio for the low-head hydro applications. The Statement of Project Objectives included tasks covering: 1) Market Applicability; 2) Technical Metrics; 3) Design (initial); 4) Electromagnetic (EM) Load and Structural Analysis; 5) Modal Analysis; 6) Sealing Design and 7) Final Design during Budget Period 1. Budget Period 2 included tasks covering: 1) Materials Procurement and Test Plan Development; 2) Assembly; and 3) Testing. The Market Applicability study (Task 1) led to a clear conclusion and recommendation toward “Low Head” technologies for maximum market share of both New Stream Reach development as well as powering Non-Powered Dams. The findings of this study also identified the opportunity for a larger scale magnetic gearbox-based drive train as a function of increased torque, as opposed to increased speed. The Technical Metrics Study (Task 2) concluded a horizontal orientation was preferred, examined potential loss mechanisms, concluded that a Halbach Array magnetic design was preferred, established a 30:1 gear ratio as optimal, and established a power rating of 100 kW as optimal. The subsequent initial and final detailed design process included electro-magnetic (EM) load and structural analysis (Task 4), a Modal analysis (for vibration) (Task 5), and a sealing design (Task 6) to assure water impermeability. The final design package (Task 7) included 729 individual parts, 117 unique part numbers, and 15 assemblies. In order to facilitate procurement, the full bill of materials was broken down into several sub-components: 1) custom magnetic parts; 2) custom machined parts; 3) custom casted parts; and 4) commercial off the shelf (COTS) parts. The casted parts were fabricated by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) via a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Emrgy and funded by the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO). The procurement effort (Task 8) ultimately covered three time periods based on challenges encountered in meeting the budgeted cost for the prototype. Following the first effort in the early stages of Budget Period 2 in 2017, a no-cost time extension was granted to seek alternative fabrication and procurement options. The project was re-booted in 2020 based on the new ORNL CRADA that would focus on five (5) of the more difficult and expensive parts using their advanced manufacturing expertise. Procurement efforts for the other custom machined parts resulted in quotations that still exceeded the budget by more than $\$$100k. This was, in part, also due to the concurrent COVID-19 pandemic that caused both supply chain disruptions and labor shortages. As the project continued, pricing and availability degraded further. In Q2 FY’22, it was decided to not proceed with the fabrication of the prototype (Task 9) based on budgetary limitations. Outcomes included a full and detailed design of a 100 kW magnetic gearbox and associated indented bill of materials (BOM) and CAD drawings, a full assembly instruction manual with an associated BOM for materials necessary to support assembly, the fabrication of the double Halbach magnetic array for the rotor/stator system, fabrication of five (5) sand-casted/machined parts (via CRADA with ORNL) and an initial draft of a comprehensive testing plan. The most significant non-outcome was the actual fabrication and testing of the prototype gearbox based on budget limitations. Lessons learned included the need for an Application / Design / Cost trade analysis to better elucidate the cost potential of the MGB in the projected volumes anticipated for future demand. This would better establish the efficacy of the original cost target ($\$$0.80/Watt) and/or the need for reconsideration of designs and applications. Likewise, additional consideration of the prototype nature of the gearbox – single use, short lifetime, etc. - either as a separate exercise or in place of the design process completed, to reduce the cost of the demonstration prototype device. Additionally, project continuity was cited as a significant risk based on the loss of the primary design engineering firm after Budget Period 1. A design analysis exercise was conducted at the conclusion of the project to identify potential areas for cost reduction. One concept considered was the removal of the inner ring of magnets (with associated changes in the outer ring magnets) to enable a horizontal collapse of the design. It was estimated this could reduce cost by 10-25% without impacting performance.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Laboratory Evaluation of Commercial Utility Microgrid Controller Test Results

The functional requirements of many microgrid controllers (MGCs) are expanding and evolving to meet growing utility and community needs. At a high level, the utility microgrid controller serves resilience and reliability use cases by coordinating transitions between grid-connected and islanded states and by managing the system during island operations. This includes control scenarios that require the microgrid controller to use flexible microgrid boundaries, maintain energy balance, coordinate with peer systems, and manage grid-forming (GFM) and grid-following (GFL) distributed energy resources (DER). In order to evaluate these functional enhancements, microgrid controller test plans must also be developed to ensure that the implemented controllers provide adequate performance. This report provides MGC test plans for both island operation and transition functions. The functions covered in this report include feeder level energy management, island constraint management, secondary voltage and frequency control, black start, and synchronized reconnection. This second edition update also includes results from applying the tests to a commercial utility microgrid controller. These results evaluate the performance and reliability of the controller under various operational scenarios. It identifies specific areas where the controller excels and highlights gaps that need to be addressed for future enhancements. The application of these test plans on real-world system behavior provides insights on commercial equipment readiness for field deployment. These test cases can be applied to utility-managed microgrid controllers that exclusively manage utility-owned equipment; the tests also apply to third-party managed microgrid controllers that coordinate with utility- and customer-owned equipment. The report can also be used by technology developers and project developers in industry to evaluate control strategies and performance characteristics for community microgrid controllers.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2024

ChargeX Prescribed Testing Program at CharIN June 2024 Testival: Outcomes & Future Recommendations

In June 2024, the ChargeX Consortium developed an optional prescribed testing program for electric vehicle (EV) and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) manufacturers that attended the CharIN Testival as testers. There were two driving purposes of this program; to introduce a new hybrid approach to testing events with both ad-hoc and prescribed testing offered, and to demonstrate the test cases and structure effectiveness of the EV-EVSE Interoperability Test Plan (EEITP) document developed within the ChargeX Testing Task Force. This program contained eight test scenarios to be performed during the final 30-minutes of a 90-minute testing slot with details like purpose, setup, pass criteria, etc. included within a written test plan document. A $2,000 rebate was offered to those who participated, and a ChargeX moderation force was present to collect EV and EVSE meta data, testing meta data, and testing results.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Results for Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy Characterization of Residual Radioactivity on Personal Protective Clothing

In early 2019, Health Physics Services (HPS) personnel put together a test plan to use the shielded gamma-ray spectroscopy instruments in the Health Physics Services Technical Laboratory (HPSTL) to perform a series of measurements on laundered personal protective clothing used in radiological areas at the Savannah River Site (SRS). That test plan describes the methodology used to determine the quantities of laundry to be obtained from operational facilities, the methods for quality control checking the instruments throughout the measurement period, and the physical arrangement of samples in the counting shields. The test plan is documented in SRNS-J6700-2019-00037 (Reference 1).

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

DOE OSTI2022

THERMAL MODELING OF HANFORD LEAD CANISTER’S HEATER BENCH TESTS

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was built to simulate planned testing of heater assemblies for the Hanford Lead Canister (HLC) project. The HLC is a canister storage system that will contain heaters to simulate the decay heat of nuclear material and provide the canister storage system with environmental conditions equivalent to the operating conditions on a dry storage pad. The HLC will be equipped with long-term data collection and monitoring systems to provide an early warning of corrosion, pitting, cracking, or other signs of canister degradation that might threaten the integrity of the containment boundary over the potentially long term of dry storage. An important part of the HLC development is to confirm the function and ability of the electric heater assemblies that were specially designed to provide heating similar to the decay heat of nuclear material contained within the canister storage system. Heater bench testing is planned for early 2022 in a test configuration that does not include the canister. The goal of the bench testing is to verify that the heaters can replicate the decay heat of a canister with nuclear material and to validate the thermal models, which are critical to understanding the HLC’s thermal environment, including the local air flow within the canister storage system. Testing of the heater assemblies inside the canister system are planned in the future to validate canister level thermal models, and rigorous pre-deployment testing of the complete HLC cask and canister system is intended to be completed before the HLC is deployed in the 2025-2026 timeframe. This study presents the pre-test temperature predictions of the bench testing. A description of the heater assemblies and planned bench testing is presented. The model was developed with the commercial CFD code STAR-CCM+. An uncertainty analysis was run with the CFD model to determine the uncertainty in the temperature predictions and provide a range over which the predicted temperatures are expected to vary. The uncertainty analysis was performed by coupling STAR-CCM+ with the software Dakota, which provides advanced parametric analyses, including quantification of margins and uncertainty with computational models. This work is expected to provide insight into SNF canister behavior.

Suffield, Sarah R.↗

DOE OSTI2022

LCLS-II-HE Cryomodule Testing at Fermilab

22 Linac Coherent Light Source II (LCLS-II) cryomodules were successfully tested at the Cryomodule Test Facility (CMTF) at Fermilab. Following the completion of the LCLS-II testing program, CMTF has shifted to testing cryomodules for the LCLS-II High Energy upgrade (LCLS-II-HE). The first LCLS-II-HE cryomodule, the verification cryomodule (vCM), was successfully tested and verified the readiness of LCLS-II-HE cryomodule testing at CMTF, and production cryomodule testing has begun. Presented here are the production cryomodule test acceptance criteria, testing plan, and cryomodule test results so far.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Geothermal Deep Direct-Use for Low-Carbon Heating: A Case Study at Cornell University

Cornell University is developing a geothermal deep direct-use system to provide reliable, low carbon, and cost-competitive heating for its main campus in Ithaca, New York. This geothermal system, also referred to as Earth Source Heat, would provide the majority of the campus heating load and represents a key pillar for the university to become carbon neutral by 2035. Over the last 10 years, numerous desktop, seismic, and geophysical studies have been undertaken at Cornell to characterize the local subsurface, predict long-term reservoir performance, design the integration into the existing district heating network, and estimate capital and levelized costs. Recently, the university received funding for drilling an observatory well to obtain in-situ subsurface data (e.g., reservoir temperatures, pressures, fluid chemistry, stress field), significantly lowering subsurface uncertainty and de-risking the project. Drilling of the test well is planned for fall 2021. This paper provides an overview and status of the project, including a summary of past studies and a description of the proposed well and planned testing activities.

Cornell University↗

DOE OSTI2021

Sealed Vessel Leak Test [Slides]

A test plan has been developed to verify the results obtained from sealed vessels used in support of the JT5-Alt370-IN-1 compatibility testing. The test plan needs to be verified by doing a mock test on testing vessels, it will be adjusted and redone as necessary then conducted on the remaining vessels from the compatibility tests.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2023

Emissions and Flame Structure Assessment of Aeroengine Micromixing Injectors for Lean Direct Injection of Hydrogen and Hydrogen/Natural Gas Blends

Abstract The present study focuses on whether adapting low emissions liquid fuel injection concepts can be applied to gaseous mixtures. The goal is to develop an injector with specific geometric characteristics that will achieve the lowest emissions. This is conducted by evaluating emissions and flame diagnostics on a set of test hardware that has been developed for combustion of pure hydrogen and hydrogen/methane mixtures. The current test hardware adapts lean direct injection concepts from aeroengine injectors to a ground-based engine based on target flows associated with a Solar Turbines Industrial Engine gas turbine. A statistical test plan was developed to assess these geometric characteristics using a three level Box Behnken design. The test plan investigates the effect of injector flow splits, air swirl, fuel swirl, pressure drop, preheat temperature, fuel composition, and the adiabatic flame temperature on the flame structure and emissions performance. A total of 16 injectors were considered for a total of 688 test points for emission and imaging data. Emissions data were reported on a mass basis in ng/J and chemical reactor network analysis were conducted to further interpret emissions behavior. Images were also captured to analyze the flame structure features of interest including reaction volume, flame length, flame spread, and flame width. With these results, a predictive model for emissions was made to conclude the most optimal injector configuration is to have the highest level of air split (more volume of air through the injector plate versus the injector) and air swirl angle for both methane and hydrogen gas mixtures. The predictive emissions level for all of these cases were below 10 ng/J.

08 HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2024

Predictive Modeling of NOx Emissions from Lean Direct Injection of Hydrogen and Hydrogen/Natural Gas Blends Using Flame Imaging and Machine Learning

This research paper explores the use of machine learning to relate images of flame structure and luminosity to measured NOx emissions. Images of reactions produced by 16 aero-engine derived injectors for a ground-based turbine operated on a range of fuel compositions, air pressure drops, preheat temperatures and adiabatic flame temperatures were captured and postprocessed. The experimental investigations were conducted under atmospheric conditions, capturing CO, NO and NOx emissions data and OH* chemiluminescence images from 27 test conditions. The injector geometry and test conditions were based on a statistically designed test plan. These results were first analyzed using the traditional analysis approach of analysis of variance (ANOVA). The statistically based test plan yielded 432 data points, leading to a correlation for NOx emissions as a function of injector geometry, test conditions and imaging responses, with 70.2% accuracy. As an alternative approach to predicting emissions using imaging diagnostics as well as injector geometry and test conditions, a random forest machine learning algorithm was also applied to the data and was able to achieve an accuracy of 82.6%. This study offers insights into the factors influencing emissions in ground-based turbines while emphasizing the potential of machine learning algorithms in constructing predictive models for complex systems.

08 HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2024

Soil Desiccation Treatability Testing at BC Waste Disposal Cribs

During Hanford’s production period, low-level waste products generated from chemical processing of uranium fuel rods were discharged directly to the ground through a system of cribs and trenches located in the 200-BC-1 Operable Unit (OU). The site consists of 6 cribs and 20 trenches that received more than 117,000 m3 of radioactive liquid waste discharged to the soil. These unlined infiltration galleries held volumes of liquid waste while it seeped into the ground, with the understanding that the 100 m (330 ft) thick vadose zone in the area would effectively capture the effluent and prevent groundwater impacts. A conceptual model showing the operation of cribs and trenches is shown in Figure 1. Data show effluent from the 26 cribs and trenches containing about 410 curies of Technetium-99 (Tc-99) is primarily located between 30 m and 70 m (98 ft and 230 ft) depth (Corbin et al., 2005; Ward et al., 2004). Despite no evidence indicating that the contamination has reached the groundwater at BC cribs and trenches, the mobility of Tc-99 had been demonstrated in laboratory tests and was recognized as a threat to groundwater at the site. Using data from numerical models, laboratory analyses, field investigations, and information on historical discharges, the EPA and Ecology identified Tc-99 and U contamination of the vadose zone as a remediation priority. The U.S. DOE was notified by EPA and Ecology regarding risks associated with Tc-99 contamination in a letter requesting development of a strategy for improved methods to understand the nature and extent of vadose zone contamination, specifically Tc-99, and to develop remedial options for addressing such contamination. To develop the appropriate technology for characterizing, remediating, and monitoring the deep vadose zone Tc-99 contamination, the U.S. DOE worked with the EPA and Ecology to create a Treatability Test Plan under a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) for the Hanford 200 Areas. Under this RI/FS, it was determined that a treatability test for soil desiccation should be carried out as it was identified as a promising in-situ treatment technology for mitigating risks posed by Tc-99 contamination to the groundwater table. The BC Cribs and Trenches site was identified as a representative site for Tc-99 and U contamination and selected for the soil desiccation treatability test. In this chapter, we summarize the overlying regulatory framework of RI/FS and treatability tests and illustrate how development and experimentation supported the evaluation of selected remedies. We briefly discuss the RI/FS for the 200 Areas of the Hanford Site and focus on the soil desiccation treatability testing performed at the BC cribs and trenches site under the Deep Vadose Zone Treatability Test Plan for the Hanford Central Plateau (DVZ-TT). The DVZ-TT is one component of the remedial investigation/feasibility study for the Hanford 200 Areas and represents the underlying regulatory framework that drives site operations towards records of decision and site closure.

Mangel, Adam R.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Report on Field Test at INL Cask Farm of Single Detector Fast Neutron Spent Fuel Cask Verification System

Detecting diversion of spent fuel elements in dry storage casks is challenging due to the thick shielding used in cask construction. Measurements on top of the cask to map the underlying arrangement of the fuel elements and looking for anomalous changes over time has proven difficult to achieve using gamma rays due to the high scattering and attenuation from the thick steel structure, weakening information on the present or absence of fuel bundles. Simulations and laboratory experiments suggest that the high-energy neutron flux (>200 keV) measured directly above each fuel bundle is sufficient to produce a position map that enables detection of the present or absence of fuel bundles, and therefore diversion of a spent fuel bundle. A single-detector spent-fuel monitoring technique based on this principle was development at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The INL Cask Farm in the INTEC technical area at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) offers the capability to test this technique on an MC-10 storage cask which has a distribution of full and empty fuel positions. An experimental test plan for the single-detector verification system was developed in consultation with INL personnel to be completed in FY2021. Due to travel advisories related to COVID-19, the experimental test plan was adapted to enable INL personnel to carry out the measurements in consultation with LLNL personnel following shipment of the LLNL system to INL. Field test measurements of the single detector verification system were successfully carried out at the INL cask farm on September 7-9, 2021. This document summarizes results of the field test.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Ventilation in Residential Care Environments

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of ventilation rate, directional airflow (e.g. pressure relationships) and airflow barriers on bioaerosol concentration and movement within assisted-living and residential care environments. Included within this report is a comprehensive literature review, field data collection test plan and, an evaluation of commercially available mitigation technologies related to the transmission of COVID-19 in LTC environments. Additionally, this report includes aerosol testing in an actual LTC facility using the test plan developed herein. Nearly 1.5 million people live in 16,000 nursing homes in the U.S. As of December 20, 2020 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) identified a total of 662,549 confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases in these and other long-term care (LTC) facilities resulting in 92,373 deaths. At this time, COVID-19 cases in LTC facilities accounted for only 3% of the U.S. total of 21M confirmed cases yet nearly a third of the 350,000 total U.S. deaths. Preliminary studies have found little correlation between the quality of care and transmission of COVID-19 in these facilities, suggesting that even the best infection control practices may not be effective in containing the spread of this potentially airborne disease. As a result, many LTC facilities have implemented quarantine procedures and other measures to isolate infectious residents from the general population. Unfortunately, most LTC facilities were not designed for airborne infection control and guidance for retrofitting existing LTC spaces for airborne isolation is limited.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2021

Ventilation in Residential Care Environments

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2024

Promoting the regulatory acceptance of combined ion and neutron irradiation for material degradation in nuclear reactors

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) program within the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy has developed its current recommendation for promoting the use of combined ion irradiation and neutron irradiation for the accelerated qualification of materials to be deployed in nuclear reactors. This plan is intended to provide a collaborative path forward that can be adopted by academia, national laboratories, and industry, and has been developed with input from the regulatory research arm of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). To deploy new materials or materials manufactured with new technologies, such as additive manufacturing, materials must be evaluated for reactor-induced degradation from the combination of harsh temperatures, corrosive environments, and radiation fields. However, rapid deployment of materials necessitates accelerated testing methods rather than relying on years of neutron irradiation in a material test reactor. Ion irradiation has demonstrated success in reproducing material microstructure and select property evolution resulting from neutron irradiation with three to four orders of magnitude reduction in time and cost, making it an ideal candidate for accelerated irradiation testing. This presentation provides context governing both the scientific and regulatory aspects of the proposed goal. The discussion is aimed at a broad audience including researchers from industry, national laboratories, and academia. The recommended path forward is presented as a conceptual framework of specific steps. In brief, the strategy entails developing an integrated ion and neutron irradiation test plan for the material property of interest based on the fundamental tenet of the linkage of microstructure and properties in materials. Physics-based modeling interprets ion irradiation data and predicts neutron irradiation microstructure and properties with uncertainty bounds. The first round of testing is sufficient for an initial licensing application using a risk-informed approach, while a minimum required neutron irradiation test plan reduces cost and time requirements. A surveillance program with witness specimens in-reactor provides additional data over time to improve model predictions to higher damage levels and further reduce uncertainty bounds, which can be used for license extensions or longer lifetimes in new license applications.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗