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At least 775 records · Page 43

Practical Considerations for the Implementation of a World Information Library (WIL) - 17112

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a deep geologic repository for the permanent disposal of defense-generated transuranic waste. Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 194.43, Passive institutional controls, requires that measures be employed, '...to preserve knowledge about the location, design, and contents of the [WIPP] disposal system'. These measures include the, 'Placement of records in the archives and land record systems of local, State, and Federal governments, as well as international archives, that would likely be consulted by individuals in search of unexploited resources'. One possibility for allowing individuals to quickly and easily access information on the location, design, and contents of a disposal system and its relation to unexploited resources is the development of an electronic geographic information system (GIS) that would be used to interpret spatial data. In 2016, R. Patterson proposed such a system, known as the 'World Information Library (WIL)'. Information in this database system would be designed to be publicly accessible through a simple web-based user interface that would focus on spatial databases with categories such as; waste repositories, resources, historical sites, wildlife, infrastructure, medicine, agriculture, and technology. The conceptual WIL would be a compilation of searchable libraries and databases. A category in the WIL would consist of spatial databases created for the purpose of preserving knowledge and providing a means of communicating location information in a GIS-based Land Use Information System (LUIS) user interface. The successful implementation of the WIL would require the robust use of project controls, an effective Quality Assurance program, and the development of international standards in collaboration with industry experts. The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss known practices and industry standards that could be utilized for the implementation of a WIL as was introduced by Patterson et al. in 'A Conceptual World Information Library (WIL) and Land Use Information System (LUIS)'. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Large-Scale Implementation of Recirculation Systems for In-Situ Treatment of Hexavalent Chromium in Groundwater in Hinkley CA - 17338

In-situ remediation using recirculation systems is being used to treat hexavalent chromium (Cr[VI]) in groundwater within the plume core at the Pacific Gas and Electric Company Hinkley Compressor Station in Hinkley, California (the Site). In-situ Reactive Zones (IRZs) are currently treating an area of 0.8 kilometers (km, one-half of a mile) by 1.6 km (a mile) to target treatment of the core of the Cr(VI) plume, where concentrations of Cr(VI) range from 10 s of micrograms per liter (μg/L) to several milligrams per liter (mg/L). Following pilot testing from 2004-2006, large scale implementation of in-situ remediation began in late 2007 and has been on-going. Implementation of the recirculation systems has been successful in remediating Cr(VI) in groundwater at a large scale. Through Third Quarter 2015, in-situ remediation had removed over 44 percent of the mass in the target treatment area. Within the IRZs, concentrations are rapidly reduced within the timeframe of weeks to a few months. Down-gradient of the IRZs, treatment has been observed at distances over 915 meters (3,000 feet). This presentation will focus on the design, operation, adaptive management and results of this effort. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Developing a New National Programme and Implementation Plan for the Management and Disposal of Spent Fuel and Radioactive Wastes in Romania - 16391

The European 'Waste Directive' (2011/70/Euratom) required each Member State to report by August 2015 on their National Programme for management of spent fuel and radioactive wastes. In Romania, the Nuclear Agency (ANDR) was responsible for preparing the National Programme report, and this was done in a step-wise manner that involved the regulators and waste producers. The starting point for the process was an assessment of existing policy against the evolving situation in the nuclear sector in the country, most notably the decision to progress with the construction of two new CANDU reactors. The final agreed National Programme report submitted to the European Commission describes the activities currently undertaken to manage spent fuel and radioactive wastes in Romania. The report also sets out, at a high-level, the additional activities that will need to be taken in the future (and an indicative timeline), including those steps that will be required to implement a new surface repository for short-lived wastes, and a geological repository for spent fuel and long-lived wastes. Additional, on-going work is intended to lead to a revision of Government policy and the development of a more detailed implementation strategy, underpinned by a programme of R and D and robust financing plans. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

EnergySolutions' Implementation of HM-250 - 16641

This presentation discusses the various changes at EnergySolutions' radioactive material disposal and processing facilities to implement the recent changes in Department of Transportation (DOT) with respect to the receipt and return to service of conveyances and packages used to transport radioactive material. Effective July 13, 2015, the DOT has revised 49 CFR 173.443(c) in an effort to prevent inadvertent diversion of conveyances and bulk packages into general commerce that had previously been used to transport radioactive material. Previous to this change, conveyances, such as, trailers, rail cars, gondolas and bulk packages, such as, sea-lands and inter-modals that were received at radioactive material management facilities could be released back to the customer as 'Return to Service' (RTS) in accordance with the contamination and dose limits specified in 49 CFR 173.443(c). At the point of release, these conveyances or packages were not required to be dedicated exclusively for subsequent radioactive material shipments. The DOT revised this regulation to implement additional controls that require any conveyance or package that was transported as Class 7 (radioactive) materials exclusive use shipment to be dedicated to subsequent radioactive material shipments. If these conveyances or packages are not use for Class 7 (radioactive) use, then they must be released for unrestricted use in accordance with the DOT and the respective radioactive material license or other regulatory authority. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Implementation and Comparison of Different Algorithms for on the fly Doppler Broadening in RMC Code

Accurate cross sections are of great importance to Monte Carlo particle transport calculation codes which use pointwise cross sections. It is well known that cross sections have much dependence on temperature on account of Doppler effect which is particularly vital for resonance absorption cross sections. In general, pre-prepared continuous-energy libraries are used in Monte Carlo codes, which is feasible in many applications. However, in multi-physics calculations where neutronics and thermal hydraulics are coupled, cross sections at a fine interval of temperatures are desired, which brings a great challenge to computer memory. Consequently, different methods about on the fly Doppler broadening for cross sections are proposed, which can generate cross sections at the specific temperature points during neutron simulations. These methods can be roughly classified into two categories: one is to calculate the required cross sections by different algorithms, such as interpolation using a high order function expansion, multipole representation, and different integration algorithms based on Doppler broadening equation. The other, for instance, target motion sampling (TMS), does not calculate the Doppler broadening cross sections but takes into account Doppler effect by rejection technique. In this paper, several on the fly Doppler broadening algorithms based on Doppler broadening equation are implemented in the Reactor Monte Carlo code RMC, and then the accuracy and efficiency are discussed and compared. In this paper, several algorithms for on the fly Doppler broadening based on Doppler broadening equation have been implemented in RMC and the focus falls on the comparison of the Gauss Legendre quadrature and Gauss Hermite quadrature. Gauss Legendre quadrature is more accurate than Gauss Hermite quadrature but also more time consuming. Base temperature has a significant impact on Gauss Hermite quadrature while increasing base temperature to room temperature (300 K) can give satisfactory results. In addition, the proportion of overhead of Doppler broadening treatment in total computational time tends to decrease with an increase number of nuclides in fuel. For depletion calculation, both algorithms are in good agreement with reference and the relative errors of K{sub inf} are within 5 times of standard deviation. As for total computational time, the ratio between Gauss Legendre quadrature or Gauss Hermite quadrature and reference decreases and reaches 9.6 or 3.4 at last, respectively. Four important isotopes are chosen to compare the atom density and all relative errors are within 0.25%. After comparisons of different algorithms and different base temperatures, it can be found that Gauss Hermite quadrature broadening from 300 K can perform on the fly cross section Doppler broadening with least total computational time and acceptable precision. (authors)

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Implementation of Increased Salt and Decreased Sludge Volumes in the Defense Waste Processing Facility - 19597

The Savannah River Site (SRS) Liquid Waste System (LWS) safely stores and treats high-level radioactive waste. The LWS consists of 51 waste storage tanks (eight of which are operationally closed and filled with grout), waste evaporators, treatment facilities, and solidification facilities such as the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) and Saltstone Production Facility (SPF). The disposition of high-level waste (HLW) into a glass waste form poured into canisters at the DWPF began in 1996. DWPF processed a sludge only flowsheet until 2008 when the Actinide Removal Process (ARP) and Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU) began treating the salt waste from the underground liquid storage tanks by striking with monosodium titanate (MST) to remove actinides, when necessary to meet downstream acceptance criteria, and removing the MST and entrained sludge solids (SS) by filtration before using an organic solvent to strip the cesium from the salt, creating two new concentrated HLW streams. This change caused the DWPF to begin processing under both a sludge-only and a coupled operations flowsheet where salt streams would only be added when available. This strategy allows for continuous glass canister production at DWPF. Recently, DWPF completed a 10-month melter replacement in December 2017 and the Concentrate, Storage, and Transfer Facility (CSTF) has completed repairs to the 3H Evaporator system. These facility outages have caused delays in preparing the next batch of sludge feed for DWPF. Concurrent with these facility outages, the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) has been undergoing system testing and commissioning, working toward startup. SWPF is designed to process salt waste in the same manner as ARP/MCU, but with much higher throughput volumes produced per unit time. In order to process the SWPF salt streams efficiently, DWPF will implement a coupled operation only flowsheet. Based on the facility outages mentioned above, efforts have been made to identify strategies to minimize sludge volumes and maximize salt volumes in the DWPF until the next sludge batch is ready for processing in DWPF. Savannah River Remediation (SRR) recently performed an evaluation that examines the effects of reducing the volume of sludge and maximizing the addition of the cesium-rich concentrated salt solution in each Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) batch in order to extend the existing sludge batch as long as possible until the next sludge batch is ready. These effects include a reduction of weight percent solids in the DWPF processing vessels, an increase in cycle time, a new canister heat generation value that remains within regulatory limits, and higher gamma source that remains within bulk facility gamma shielding. Balancing the above parameters resulted in a small reduction of sludge volume per SRAT batch under SWPF operation and maximizing the salt volumes for both ARP/MCU and SWPF operation. This slight reduction in sludge volume and increase in salt volumes allows SRR to mitigate some of the schedule impact incurred by the facility outages. This strategy was evaluated for both ARP/MCU and SWPF operation. This strategy has been successfully implemented under ARP/MCU operation using small step changes in the current process. This paper provides an overview of the evaluation performed for DWPF with ARP/MCU and DWPF with SWPF operations. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Implementation of the Glycolate Destruction Process with Sodium Permanganate in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) - 20141

The Savannah River Site (SRS) seeks to replace formic acid with glycolic acid as a chemical reductant in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), where borosilicate glass is mixed with high-level radioactive waste, melted at high temperatures, then poured into stainless steel canisters for safe storage. Prior research and development have demonstrated the feasibility and advantages of the new nitric-glycolic acid flowsheet over the current nitric-formic acid flowsheet to chemically adjust the radioactive sludge slurry waste in the Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) prior to vitrification. Use of glycolic acid reduces hydrogen and ammonia generation during the reduction process, thus reducing flammability hazards and purge requirements in the DWPF processing vessels. In addition, glycolic acid will support the new Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) by allowing for receipt of higher volumes of waste due to reduction of flammable gases, increased boil-up rates in the vessels, and easing the processing of future sludge batches containing high levels of mercury. However, during DWPF operations, trace amounts of glycolate are anticipated to be entrained in the recycle stream and sent to the Concentration, Storage, and Transfer Facilities (CSTF) via the Recycle Collection Tank (RCT). The RCT receives condensate from the Slurry Mix Evaporator Condensate Tank (SMECT) and Off-gas Condensate Tank (OGCT) that may contain unreacted glycolate. A literature review found the potential for hydrogen generation due to thermolysis of glycolate in caustic CSTF conditions. Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) conducted several tests on simulant and radioactive waste from various tanks at SRS and confirmed that glycolate added to waste at concentrations of approximately 1000 mg/L and higher generates hydrogen through thermolysis. There are potential operating scenarios in the future where glycolate concentration could exceed 1000 mg/L in the 2H Evaporator Drop Tank, the highest accumulation point for DWPF organics received via recycle. These findings presented a need to develop another process to mitigate the impact of glycolic acid to the CSTF. Several DWPF compatible options were evaluated for their ability to destroy glycolate in the DWPF recycle stream under various processing conditions, thereby mitigating its introduction to the CSTF. Downselection testing identified sodium permanganate as the most promising and simplest option to oxidize glycolate. It has been demonstrated to be effective in various RCT simulant compositions, operating temperatures, oxidant addition rates, solution pH, and initial glycolate concentrations. A feasibility study identified existing tanks within the facility that could be used for receiving and storing the commercially available sodium permanganate, as well as feeding it to the RCT for processing. The use of existing equipment as well as the ability to purchase the pre-mixed chemical reduces implementation and operational complexity. The downstream impacts of the sodium permanganate reaction were also evaluated and demonstrated to have minimal impact on other chemical species present in the RCT and CSTF, as well as on the materials of construction of the RCT and CSTF vessels and associated piping and instrumentation. Future work is in progress to validate the glycolate destruction process with testing in actual radioactive RCT waste before implementation in DWPF. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Implementation of Weighted Delta-Tracking with Scattering in the Serpent 2 Monte Carlo Code

Serpent 2, a continuous-energy Monte Carlo Reactor physics burnup code developed at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, uses a common rejection sampling technique, known as Woodcock delta-tracking. This method improves the efficiency of Monte Carlo in the complicated geometric layout of nuclear reactors and is widely used despite drawbacks that make it inefficient in specific cases, such as in the presence of strong absorbers. At present, Serpent actively uses delta-tracking, falling back to a surface tracking option in situations where delta-tracking is inefficient to partially offset these weaknesses. Morgan and Kotlyar introduced a Weighted Delta Tracking (WDT) routine to address these issues, replacing the rejection sampling of absorption events with an implicit event. In this research, we examine the theoretical basis for rejection sampling and implicit events, and how they relate to WDT. We then discuss implementation of a routine that extends the WDT routine to include scattering events. The routine is implemented and tested within Serpent. We examine various test cases including a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) pin cell, and homogenous fuel media based on the content of the fuel of the Transient Test Reactor (TREAT) at Idaho National Lab (INL)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

The additive volume density law implemented in the Latec workbench to deal with fissile media that contain moderator elements - 14342

The moderation ratio is one of the key parameters for safety assessment in criticality-safety studies. It can be expressed as a moderator to fissile atoms ratio and is related to the concentration of fissile isotopes. The relationship linking these parameters illustrates a physical behaviour of the mixture, which could be very complex depending on the different kinds of media and their associated physical states encountered in the nuclear fuel cycle. To guarantee the safety when modelling a given mixture, criticality-safety practitioners consider either a best estimate approach by fitting experimental data, or, a bounding approach with a fictitious fissile mixture. This theoretical model is generally more penalizing in terms of k{sub eff} and does not involve numeric algorithms for the resolution reducing the overall uncertainty. This is the case for the additive volume density law, which is based on the assumption that the volume of a mixture is the sum of the volumes of all its compounds. This naturally leads to differentiate all the compounds in the mixture and, in particular, the fissile compound and the moderator. A first algorithm has been derived from this approach and implemented in the LATEC criticality workbench developed at IRSN, but a second assumption is required to solve the problem encountered when moderator's elements have also to be used to define the fissile compound. A typical example of this major issue is an UZrH fissile compound moderated by water. The reference moderator element of the water is obviously hydrogen that belongs to the fissile compound. This paper is dedicated to the implementation in the LATEC criticality workbench of an algorithm based on the additive volume density law that is able to deal with such a configuration. The major advantage of this new algorithm is the versatility in terms of input data. The mixture compounds and the moderation can be expressed in multiple ways still using the same algorithm. A validation work has been performed on different UZrH compounds and for different expressions of moderation. The calculated isotopic concentrations have been compared to theoretical calculations using a more straightforward algorithm but that should be adapted for every change in terms of moderation expression. The results obtained are in good agreement with validation results. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Taking into account the temperature effect in nitrate solutions: validation of the Pitzer and 'ISOTEMP' density laws to be implemented in the Latec workbench - 14343

For many years, various methodologies have been investigated by IRSN to calculate nitrate solutions densities. No later than 2002, a new method to calculate nitrate densities supported by theoretical concepts, called' isopiestic' method, was proposed. This method, however, limits the calculation of the bulk density of solutions to 25 deg. C due to the lack of measurements at other temperatures. The objective of the paper is to continue the work initiated in 2002 by accounting for the dilation of the temperature effect, building a 'modified isopiestic law' and also implementing the Pitzer methodology. A comparison with other available density laws such as the Kumar and Sakurai laws is then necessary to validate the implementation. (authors)

42 ENGINEERING↗

Implementation of hybrid finite element method based transport solver in GRIFFIN

A new transport solver option based on the hybrid FEM (HFEM) was implemented in GRIFFIN, the MOOSE-based reactor analysis code, as an effort to support routine core design calculations for advanced reactor applications. The HFEM formulation with P{sub N} (spherical harmonics expansion), akin to the variational nodal method, is effective for solving a spatially homogenized problem with strong transport effect. The residual and Jacobian evaluations of the HFEM weak form were derived and successfully implemented in GRIFFIN, having the diffusion and the PN options available in the new HFEM based transport solver. The performance was tested with the simplified ABTR benchmark problems. The results indicate that the HFEM-based transport solver is a feasible option for solving problems with spatially homogenized and strong streaming by providing superior accuracy with a proper p-refinement. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

MODELING, IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTROL OF A CVT BASED PTO FOR A SMALL SCALE MHK-TURBINE IN LOW FLOW SPEED OPERATION

Modeling, implementation, field testing and control of a power takeoff (PTO) device equipped with a ball-type continuously variable transmission (B-CVT) for a small marine hydrokinetic (MHK) turbine deployed from a floating unmanned autonomous mobile catamaran platform is described. The turbine is a partially submerged multi-blade undershot waterwheel (USWW). A validated numerical torque model for the MHK turbine has been derived and a speed controller has been developed, implemented and tested in the field. The dependance of the power generated as a function of number and submergence level of turbine blades has been investigated and the number of blades that maximizes power production is determined. Bench and field testing in support of characterizing the power conversion capabilities of MHK turbine and PTO are described. Detailed results of the final torque and power coefficient models, the controls architecture, and the MHK turbine performance with varying numbers of blades are provided.

Pimentel, Hugo↗

UAS IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS FOR NUCLEAR SECURITY

Uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) have been an area of focus for the Office of International Nuclear Security within the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration and other foreign and domestic organizations for several years. This emerging technology provides significant capabilities to the nuclear security realm, but there are many things to consider when implementing them into an established security design or network. The goal of this paper is to discuss some of the benefits, challenges, and lessons learned with using UAS at nuclear facilities and during transport of material. Generic examples of UAS implementation will be used to facilitate a publicly releasable paper and presentation. The paper will start with a summary of the types and capabilities of UAS to provide a better understanding for people unfamiliar with current and new capabilities of these systems. Since there are many different types and sizes of UAS, this paper will focus on drones 55 lb and smaller. Then some of the use cases of UAS for security and challenges of employing them will be covered. Finally, lessons learned and some best practices that Oak Ridge National Laboratory has discovered from research, development, testing, and evaluation will be summarized.

Stockwell, Brandon↗

Value-based Insights from the Implementation of Hierarchical Control for Energy Savings and Demand Response in Residential Premises

As the adoption of distributed energy resources and electric vehicles at residential customer premises increases exponentially, behind-the-meter assets can be utilized to achieve energy cost reduction and demand response through coordination and control strategies. A hierarchical control architecture from the utility headend to residential premises is implemented to attain these objectives. This paper extracts the values from the development, implementation, and deployment of that control hierarchy. The development of the control philosophy is built upon the existing advanced metering infrastructure, communication protocols, and industry-compatible application programming interfaces. Results are presented visually with analytical insights by utilizing the data from hardware-in-the-loop testing and simulation analysis out of the collected data from the field.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Legal and Regulatory Aspects Related to Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for Safeguards Implementation

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is exploring the use of innovative technologies such as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to address safeguards verification challenges such as difficulties in accessing nuclear material in high radiation environments, and remotely located installations, as well as to increase the efficiency of safeguards implementation by automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks. As UAS continue to advance and their use becomes more frequent in high security conscious industries such as nuclear, their advantages in contributing to greater safety and security may weigh in favor of their use. However, as the IAEA begins to use these technologies, the legal, policy, and operational considerations associated with these advanced technologies will also need to be considered to identify any key opportunities, challenges, or areas of concern for the IAEA and its Member States. This paper will explore these areas and identify important considerations for the IAEA and its Member States to consider as the use of UAS is explored further for safeguards applications. It will also provide a series of recommendations for anticipating and addressing legal, regulatory, and policy challenges related to the use of UAS for safeguards implementation.

Siserman-Gray, Ioana-Cristina↗

Implementation of Windowed Multipole into MCNP6.3

This work details the implementation of the Windowed MultiPole(WMP) method of generating cross sections into the monte carlo code MCNP6.3, the verification and validation performed, and potential future improvements to be implemented. Further, this work contextualizes WMP within the broader changes to how nuclear data is stored, iterated upon, and used that have been developing over the past decade.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

A Complexity Agnostic Clustering Engine for Time Projection Chambers and its Implementation in FPGA

A clustering functional block implemented in field-programable-gate-array (FPGA) for time projection chambers (TPC) operating with predictable time regardless the complexity of the event is described in this paper. The clustering functional block reorganizes input data and the hits data belonging to the same clusters are output together for further process in the later stages. The clustering operation consists of two phases, data filling phase and data outputting phase, and the later uses the same number of clock cycles as the data filling phase. The clustering block can accommodate events with arbitrary number of clusters and number of hits per cluster as long as the total number of hits is within a predesigned limit. The operation time is exactly twice of the data filling time with no residual O(n2) term. The clustering block has been implemented with operating frequency of 200 MHz in a low-cost FPGA evaluation module and test results confirm the expected performance.

Wu, Jinyuan [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000344329521)↗

Lessons learned from the development and implementation of a workforce training curriculum for advanced controls for high performance HVAC systems

Over the past decade, academic research on advanced controls has slowly transitioned into new software platforms, giving rise to various companies developing and deploying these innovative products, including solutions for light commercial HVAC systems. However, the current workforce remains widely unprepared to install, maintain and operate these systems, particularly complex software-based control platforms, as most workforce training programs still focus on traditional building automation for large commercial buildings. This paper presents the development and piloting of curriculum for three key types of professionals: ● Technicians (trade-level): installing and maintaining modern high-performance HVAC systems and controls ● Programmers (undergrad-level): developing and implementing advanced controls ● Engineers and energy professionals (undergrad/grad-level): managing and evaluating system performance We share details of the material developed including training videos, open-source software, instruction manuals. We also present the results of a pilot implementation of the training materials with real students.

Casillas, Armando↗