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DOE OSTI2025

Examination of 3013 Containers Baseline Surface Features

The Surveillance and Monitoring Program at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was tasked with evaluating the baseline features of 3013 containers. This baseline is to be used as a basis for comparison for 3013 containers that had been packaged with corrosive plutonium materials. The LANL team evaluated an unwelded container, an unused welded container, and a welded container that had held plutonium metal without any corrosive impurities. These three containers had features with depths no larger than 6 µm and had similar depth distributions. The features observed in the baseline containers were all shallower than those seen in containers packaged with corrosive plutonium materials. This work establishes workflows for feature identification and measurement, as well as establishment of baseline data for future comparison with corroded containers.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Aluminum-fiber composites containing intermetallic phase at the matrix-fiber interface

A solid aluminum-fiber composite comprising: (i) an aluminum-containing matrix comprising elemental aluminum; (ii) coated or uncoated fibers embedded within said aluminum-containing matrix, wherein said fibers have a different composition than said aluminum-containing matrix and impart additional strength to said aluminum-containing matrix as compared to said aluminum-containing matrix in the absence of said fibers embedded therein; and (iii) an intermetallic layer present as an interface between each of said fibers and the aluminum-containing matrix, wherein said intermetallic layer has a composition different from said aluminum-containing matrix and said fibers, and said intermetallic layer contains at least one element that is also present in the aluminum-containing matrix and at least one element present in the fibers, whether from the coated or interior portion of the fibers. Methods of producing the above-described composite are also described.

Rios, Orlando↗

DOE OSTI2024

He Leak Testing of 3013 Inner Container Lids

The 3013-container package is used for the long-term storage of plutonium bearing materials at Department of Energy (DOE) sites. The package consists of three nested stainless-steel containers: outer, inner and convenience, which are made of stainless steel. The requirements of the DOE 3013 Standarda, also entail the development of a surveillance program, tasked to ensure structural integrity of the outer container for at least 50 years. The Materials Identification and Surveillance Working Group (MIS-WG) is specified to be responsible for selecting the containers for the surveillance as well as analyzing results. The MIS-WG determined that corrosion is a potential mechanism for container degradation with the most credible type of failure to be stress corrosion cracking (SCC) through wall breach of the inner container closure weld region (ICCWR). A breach of the inner container has the potential of allowing corrosive gases to be released into the safety class outer container.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2025

COMPUTATION FLUID DYNAMICS ANALYSIS FOR GENERIC SMALL MODULAR REACTOR CONTAINMENT SEPARATE EFFECTS TEST

It is desirable for fourth-generation Small Modular Reactors to be passively cooled in standard and accident operations. Passive Containment Cooling Systems can reject heat from the containment structure, without using pumps or blowers. The targeted design containment structure is a large, domed, stainless steel, cylindrical vessel. In a postulated Design Basis Accident, steam will flash inside containment. Steam condensation occurs on the inner containment wall and transfers heat through the steel containment into a large body of water known as the annular reservoir (AR) surrounding the vessel serving as the ultimate heat sink. Natural circulation drives the flow in the AR and heat will be released to the environment by evaporation of water. Unique containment geometry requires a separate effects test (SET) facility for the verification and validation of the computer code and evaluation model development and assessment for reactor licensing efforts. In this study, STAR-CCM+, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code was used to inform the decision-making process on the design of the SET. The CFD simulation modeled, a two-phase turbulent flow with fluid film development and heat transfer for different containment geometries. The Reactor Excursion and Leak Analysis Program will also be used in a code-to-code verification against the CFD results.

21 - SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLAN↗

DOE OSTI2025

SMR Containment Cable and Electrical Penetration Assembly System

GAIN Project CRADA Number NFE-21-08839, entitled “SMR Containment Cable and EPA System” was initiated by the partnership of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Engineered Solutions Group (ESG) to test an ESG-designed Electrical Penetration Assembly and Containment Cabling System Qualified for not only SMR technologies, but also Advanced Reactors design. An Electrical Penetration Assembly (EPA) is a component used to allow electrical power and signal conductors as well as optical fiber through the nuclear reactor’s containment structure while maintaining a pressure barrier. The EPA ensures the containment's integrity both during the normal operation and also accident conditions by providing a sealed passage for power and signals. This project was undertaken to fill the equipment gap of EPA and Cabling Systems that require much more severe environmental requirements than legacy plant applications present due to their smaller containment volumes that result in high energy densities compared to legacy designs. This high energy density results in severe accident environments and also more severe normal operating conditions.This document describes cost effective approaches to qualify a unique EPA for Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technologies as legacy LWR EPA technologies will likely have inherent material performance insufficiencies. The DBA profiles for SMRs (and some Advanced Reactor Technologies) are more severe than the legacy qualification requirements making the design of the qualification testing system challenging as the temperatures and pressures can approach the limits permitted by ASME Pressure Vessel Code, as well as accident temperatures exceeding the capability of polymeric gaskets and dielectrics. Small Modular Reactors are designed to have, as the name suggests, modularity which implies sized for factory fabrication and subsequent assembly at the power plant site. SMR containment is much smaller than a legacy Light Water Reactor containment. The containment walls are likely to be comprised of stainless steel. Qualifying Electrical Penetration Assemblies (EPAs) through these steel vessels are of interest in this work. Methods are presented here that discuss critical safety and cost effectiveness for these SMR EPA’s test systems.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

NASA NTRS2000

NEA Multi-Chamber Sample Return Container with Hermetic Sealing

A sample return container is being developed by Honeybee Robotics to receive samples from a derivative of the Champollion/ST4 Sample Acquisition and Transfer Mechanism or other samplers such as the 'Touch and Go' Surface Sampler (TGSS), and then hermetically seal the samples for a sample return mission. The container is enclosed in a phase change material (PCM) chamber to prevent phase change during return and re-entry to earth. This container is designed to operate passively with no motors and actuators. Using the rotation axis of the TGSS sampler for interfacing, transferring and sealing samples, the container consumes no electrical power and therefore minimizes sample temperature change. The circular container houses multiple isolated canisters, which will be sealed individually for samples acquired from different sites or depths. The TGSS based sampler indexes each canister to the sample transfer position, below the index interface for sample transfer. After sample transfer is completed, the sampler indexes a seal carrier, which lines up seals with the openings of the canisters. The sampler moves to the sealing interface and seals the sample canisters one by one. The sealing interface can be designed to work with C-seals, knife edge seals and cup seals. This sample return container is being developed by Honeybee Robotics in collaboration with the JPL Exploration Technology program. A breadboard system of the sample return container has been recently completed and tested. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Rafeek, Shaheed↗

NASA NTRS2007

Separation and Sealing of a Sample Container Using Brazing

A special double-wall container and a process for utilizing the container are being developed to enable (1) acquisition of a sample of material in a dirty environment that may include a biological and/or chemical hazard; (2) sealing a lid onto the inner part of the container to hermetically enclose the sample; (3) separating the resulting hermetic container from the dirty environment; and (4) bringing that hermetic container, without any biological or chemical contamination of its outer surface, into a clean environment. The process is denoted S(exp 3)B (separation, seaming, and sealing using brazing) because sealing of the sample into the hermetic container, separating the container from the dirty environment, and bringing the container with a clean outer surface into the clean environment are all accomplished simultaneously with a brazing operation.

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Containment Assurance Risk Framework of the Mars Sample Return Program

The Mars Sample Return campaign aims at bringing rock and atmospheric samples from Mars to Earth through a series of robotic missions. These missions would collect the samples being cached and deposited on Martian soil by the Perseverance rover, place them in a container, and launch them into Martian orbit for subsequent capture by an orbiter that would bring them back. Given there exists a non-zero probability that the samples contain biological material, precautions are being taken to design systems that would break the chain of contact between Mars and Earth. These include techniques such as sterilization of Martian particles, redundant containment vessels, and a robust reentry capsule capable of accurate landings without a parachute. Requirements exist that the probability of containment not assured of Martian-contaminated material into Earth’s biosphere be less than one in a million. To demonstrate compliance with this strict requirement, a statistical framework was developed to assess the likelihood of containment loss during each sample return phase and make a statement about the total combined mission probability of containment not assured. The work presented here describes this framework, which considers failure modes or fault conditions that can initiate failure sequences ultimately leading to containment not assured. Reliability estimates are generated from databases, design heritage, component specifications, or expert opinion in the form of probability density functions or point estimates and provided as inputs to the mathematical models that simulate the different failure sequences. The probabilistic outputs are then combined following the logic of several fault trees to compute the ultimate probability of containment not assured. Given the multidisciplinary nature of the problem and the different types of mathematical models used, the statistical tools needed for analysis are required to be computationally efficient. While standard Monte Carlo approaches are used for fast models, a multi-fidelity approach to rare event probabilities is proposed for expensive models. In this paradigm, inexpensive low-fidelity models are developed for computational acceleration purposes while the expensive high-fidelity model is kept in the loop to retain accuracy in the results. This work presents an example of end-to-end application of this framework highlighting the computational benefits of a multi-fidelity approach.

Giuseppe Cataldo↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of an Additively Manufactured Subscale Secondary Sealed Container for the NASA FROSTE Project

This presentation details the development of an additively manufactured (AM) subscale test article for the secondary sealed container (SSC) as part of the NASA FROSTE project. FROSTE is focused on the collection of regolith samples from shadowed regions of the Moon and the preservation of those samples at cryogenic temperatures for return to Earth. Our team was integrated into the FROSTE program to leverage innovative design approaches and additive manufacturing capabilities in support of a scalable development strategy, where the subscale configuration serves as the development path toward a full-scale SSC. Scalmalloy was selected as the primary material for all AM components due to its favorable strength-to-weight ratio, thermal conductivity, and demonstrated performance in aerospace applications. Its aluminum-based composition supports robust mechanical behavior at cryogenic temperatures while enabling efficient heat transfer and control of thermal gradients within the containment system. The SSC architecture consists of an outer container assembly that houses a phase change material (PCM) tank, which in turn contains primary containers holding the regolith. Thermal management relies on controlled conductive and radiative heat transfer, including a thermal connection assembly that interfaces the PCM tank to an external cryocooler via a thermal strap, and IMLI surrounding the PCM tank to inhibit radiative heat transfer. The outer container assembly incorporates sealing interfaces, thermal connection ports, and I/O feedthroughs, with PTFE spring seals used at critical interfaces to maintain containment integrity. The PCM tank is manufactured as a single monolithic Scalmalloy component and incorporates an integral lattice structure to minimize thermal gradients, internal channels for thermocouple routing, and interface features for thermal connection assembly integration. The tank is centrally suspended within the outer container using support rings, with G10 insulating components employed to inhibit thermal leaks. This work describes the design methodology, AM approach, and key considerations used to inform the design.

regolith↗

DOE OSTI2021

A study on computational fluid dynamics modeling of a refrigerated container for COVID-19 vaccine distribution with experimental validation

A key issue with the distribution of vaccines to prevent COVID-19 is the temperature level required during transport, storage, and distribution. Typical refrigerated transport containers can provide a temperature-controlled environment down to -30 °C. However, the Pfizer vaccine must be carefully transported and stored under a lower temperature between -80 °C and -60 °C. One way to provide the required temperature is to pack the vaccine vials into small packages containing dry ice. Dry ice sublimates from a solid to a gas, which limits the allowable transport duration. This can be mitigated by transporting in a -30 °C refrigerated container. Moreover, because the dry ice will sublimate and thereby release CO 2 gas into the transport container, monitoring the CO 2 concentration within the refrigerated container is also essential. In the present work, a 3D computational fluid dynamics model was developed based on a commercially available refrigerated container and validated with experimental data. The airflow, temperature distribution, and CO 2 concentration within the container were obtained from the simulations. The modeling results can provide guidance on preparing experimental setups, thus saving time and lowering cost, and also provide insight into safety precautions needed to avoid hazardous conditions associated with the release of CO 2 during vaccine distribution.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2023

On the Durability of Tin‐Containing Perovskite Solar Cells

Abstract Tin (Sn)‐containing perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have gained significant attention in the field of perovskite optoelectronics due to lower toxicity than their lead‐based counterparts and their potential for tandem applications. However, the lack of stability is a major concern that hampers their development. To achieve the long‐term stability of Sn‐containing PSCs, it is crucial to have a clear and comprehensive understanding of the degradation mechanisms of Sn‐containing perovskites and develop mitigation strategies. This review provides a compendious overview of degradation pathways observed in Sn‐containing perovskites, attributing to intrinsic factors related to the materials themselves and environmental factors such as light, heat, moisture, oxygen, and their combined effects. The impact of interface and electrode materials on the stability of Sn‐containing PSCs is also discussed. Additionally, various strategies to mitigate the instability issue of Sn‐containing PSCs are summarized. Lastly, the challenges and prospects for achieving durable Sn‐containing PSCs are presented.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

An approach for spent nuclear fuel containment integrity verification using gas tagging

Verification of containment integrity is required for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) managed by the commercial nuclear industry and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), especially after extended storage. Certain SNF storage systems, such as the DOE road-ready dry storage system, hold several packaged containments within a welded over-canister. These packaged containments are called Department of Energy Standard Canisters (DOESCs). DOESC leakage identification is challenging because their containment boundary cannot be accessed for testing and their contents (i.e., SNF and fill gas) are often similar. There are concerns that this could result in costly characterization and repackaging operations of DOE road-ready dry storage systems if compromised DOESCs are suspected. Here, to address these concerns, this paper presents an approach for applying a gas tagging process using xenon to uniquely identify compromised inaccessible containments following extended storage. The containments considered for this application are seven DOESCs, each packaged within a single over-canister. Two different SNF loading configurations from the Advanced Test Reactor and Fort Saint Vrain nuclear power plant are considered. These configurations are used to represent research reactor aluminum-clad spent nuclear fuel (ASNF) and TRi-structural ISOtropic (TRISO) SNF types. Results for this application show that for ASNF and TRISO type fuels for which the selected fuels are representative, the volume of taggant required at loading is determined primarily by the lower detection limit and leak rate of taggant from a compromised DOESC, rather than the amount of fission-generated xenon in the loaded fuel. While the application presented is suited for larger leaks, smaller leaks could be detected by modifying certain design parameters. This gas tagging approach can also be applied to other DOE containments and advanced reactor SNF storage systems.

07 - ISOTOPES AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

Alternative Liquid DSA Containers for Sludge Slurry Storage in the SRNL Shielded Cells

A pending revision of the Documented Safety Analysis (DSA) for the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) defines “DSA containers'’ for liquid sludge slurries as containers not susceptible to a flashing spray release in a fire and requires that a list of DSA containers be maintained. High Level Waste (HLW) samples are typically received from the Savannah River Site (SRS) tank farm after retrieval from the storage tanks. Glass bottles are preferred for long-term storage of radioactive liquid sludge slurry samples but are not on the DSA container list. An evaluation has been conducted to identify vessel lids for the glass bottles that would vent prior to pressurization and liquid superheating in a fire event. Low melting Field's Metal eutectic alloy with a melting point of 62°C has been identified as a preferred material of construction for vessel lids for this application because the material is resistant to puncture and is expected to have good chemical compatibility and radiation stability in the shielded cells environment. A test vessel was designed to evaluate the alloy and confirm that it would melt before the water in the vessel reaches the boiling point. The tests confirmed: 1) that the reported melting point of the alloy was accurate, 2) that a top fashioned from this material will melt creating an open atmosphere in the vessel headspace prior to sample boiling under moderate and fast heating rates, and 3) that nonuniform heating of the bottle from the bottom also results in melting of the alloy prior to boiling. Based on the results, neither an engulfing fire with standing or toppled bottles or a fire producing localized heat at the vessel bottom would result in flashing spray conditions. It is recommended that glass vessels of various volumes ranging from 125 mL to 1 gallon with modified tops containing the specified Field's Metal eutectic alloy which are appropriately designed to avoid flashing spray material releases be added to the DSA container list. These vessels will be utilized in the Shielded Cells for the storage of radioactive liquid samples of sludge slurries. Use of these vessels will also be advantageous for other liquid samples containing accountable amounts of nuclear material throughout other SRNL laboratories. Similarly constructed paraffin vessel lids could also potentially be added to the approved list, though additional testing would be required.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2023

Simulations of Criticality Control Overpack Container Compaction at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

Criticality Control Overpack (CCO) containers are being considered for the disposal of defense-related nuclear waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). At WIPP, these containers would be placed in underground disposal rooms, which will naturally close and compact the containers closer to one another over several centuries. This report details simulations to predict the final container configuration as an input to nuclear criticality assessments. Each container was discretely modeled, including the plywood and stainless steel pipe inside the 55-gallon drum, in order to capture its complex mechanical behavior. Although these high-fidelity simulations were computationally intensive, several different material models were considered in an attempt to reasonably bound the horizontal and vertical compaction percentages. When exceptionally strong materials were used for the containers, the horizontal and vertical closure respectively stabilized at 43:9 % and 93:7 %. At the other extreme, when the containers completely degraded and the clay seams between the salt layers were glued, the horizontal and vertical closure reached respective final values of 48:6 % and 100 %.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

NASA NTRS1973

Analysis of temperature and pressure distribution of containers for nuclear waste material disposal in space

A computer program was adapted from a previous generation program to analyze the temperature and internal pressure response of a radioactive nuclear waste material disposal container following impact on the earth. This program considers component melting, LiH dissociation, temperature dependent properties and pressure and container stress response. Analyses were performed for 21 cases with variations in radioactive power level, container geometry, degree of deformation of the container, degree of burial and soil properties. Results indicated that the integrity of SS-316 containers could be maintained with partial burials of either underformed or deformed containers. Results indicated that completely buried waste containers, with power levels above 5 kW, experienced creep stress rupture failures in 4 to 12 days.

Vanbibber, L. E.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Results of tests of MTA-2 TPS on the SRB hold-down bolt blast container

The four solid rocket booster (SRB) hold-down posts are fastened to the mobile launch platform (MLP) with four large nuts. At liftoff the nuts are split with explosive changes to release the SRB/Shuttle. A blast container is placed over the nuts to protect the vehicle from flying debris. The blast container is a reusable part and has to be protected from aerodynamic heating during flight. The thermal protection system (TPS) used to protect these blast containers is cork. Fitting the flat cork sheet to this hemispherical shaped blast container is both time consuming and expensive. Another problem is removing the charred cork and epoxy glue from the blast containers. Replacements of this cork with another TPS material such as MTA-2 was examined. Heating rates along the centerline of the forward facing areas of the blast container were determined. The feasibility of using 1/2 in. MTA-2 on the SRB blast containers for protection from ascent, plume impingement and reentry heating is demonstrated.

Dean, W. G.↗

NASA NTRS2002

The Evaluation and Implementation of a Water Containment System to Support Aerospace Flywheel Testing

High-energy flywheel systems for aerospace power storage and attitude control applications are being developed because of the potential for increasing the energy density and reducing operational costs. A significant challenge facing the development of the test hardware is containment of the rotating elements in the event of a failure during the development and qualification stages of testing. This containment is critical in order to ensure the safety of the test personnel and the facility. A containment system utilizing water as the containment media is presented. Water containment was found to be a low cost, flexible, and highly effective containment system. Ballistic test results and analytical results are discussed along with a description of a flywheel test facility that was designed and built utilizing the water containment system at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in Cleveland, Ohio.

Trase, Larry M.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Method of forming a relatively stable slip of silicon metal particles and yttrium containing particles

The method concerns forming a relatively stable slip of silicon metal particles and yttrium containing particles. In one embodiment, a casting slip of silicon metal particles is formed in water. Particles of a yttrium containing sintering aid are added to the casting slip. The yttrium containing sintering aid is a compound which has at least some solubility in water to form Y.sup.+3 ions which have a high potential for totally flocculating the silicon metal particles into a semiporous solid. A small amount of a fluoride salt is added to the casting slip which contains the yttrium containing sintering aid. The fluoride salt is one which will produce fluoride anions when dissolved in water. The small amount of the fluoride anions produced are effective to suppress the flocculation of the silicon metal particles by the Y.sup.+3 ions so that all particles remain in suspension in the casting slip and the casting slip has both an increased shelf life and can be used to cast articles having a relatively thick cross-section. The pH of the casting slip is maintained in a range from 7.5 to 9. Preferably, the fluoride salt used is one which is based on a monovalent cation such as sodium or ammonia. The steps of adding the yttrium containing sintering aid and the fluoride salt may be interchanged if desired, and the salt may be added to a solution containing the sintering aid prior to addition of the silicon metal particles.

Dickie, Ray A.↗