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At least 847 records · Page 47
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

FX Hg Fogging Fixative Deployment for Mercury Vapor Suppression - 20410

Idaho National Laboratory's (INL) FX Hg fixative solution was deployed at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to support disposal of mercury-contaminated metal debris. The fixative was dispensed via fogging. Fogging infiltrates non-line-of-sight areas improving fixative coating on complex geometries such as debris piles. FX Hg is the mercury vapor controlling derivative of INL's FX2 fixative. FX2 was jointly developed with the National Nuclear Laboratory of the United Kingdom, and INL developed the FX Hg derivative to suppress mercury vapor generation. The Y-12 deployment was performed in concert with UCOR (URS CH2M Oak Ridge), the cleanup contractor for Y-12. A dumpster filled with debris was fogged with FX Hg. The debris was acceptable as municipal landfill waste, save for the mercury vapor levels measured. If the mercury vapor generation rate could be sufficiently reduced, disposal costs for this waste would be dramatically reduced. FX Hg had previously proven effective at significantly reducing mercury vapor generation rates in bench scale testing at INL. This deployment was the first field-scale deployment of the method. Efficacy results were underwhelming, but interpretation of the outcome is complicated by a paucity of hard data. Methods for improving data capture and analysis are analyzed. Operational difficulties associated with scaling up the process and process improvements for future deployments are discussed. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Use of the Manuela 3D/Radiation Scanning Tool at Nuclear Facilities - 20437

Licensees, facility operators and decommissioning contractors have a need for comprehensive, accurate and precise radiological and topographical data to plan and execute safe and efficient Decontamination and Decommissioning (D and D) projects. Traditional approaches rely greatly upon labor and administratively intensive data collection methods that require considerable time and effort to glean the relevant data to plan and perform work in a radiological work area. Orano Decommissioning Services has developed and utilized at French nuclear facilities a lightweight portable scanning instrument called MANUELA (Mobile Apparatus for Nuclear Expertise Localization Assistance). Recently Orano conducted demonstrations at two United States nuclear facilities using MANUELA that may prove useful in areas of the fuel cycle including: - ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) planning during facility operations; - Scoping and site characterization during the D and D planning phase; - Remedial action support during active decommissioning work; - Radiation and modeling planning for plant modifications; - Support Final Status Survey and demonstration of 'end state' compliance for license termination. MANUELA is currently being evaluated for use during decommissioning of nuclear facilities and could aide in demonstrating compliance with end state criteria after decommissioning. Of particular interest are decommissioning projects planned for various sites across the United States. Most of these sites present unique challenges and opportunities to safely and efficiently decommission in a regulatory compliant manner. The two demonstration site's current conditions of relatively low radiation levels inside containment proved to be ideal platforms to deploy the MANUELA instrument for evaluation of the complex geometries typically found in a nuclear facility. The MANUELA instrument was able to precisely identify local hot spots of the reactor system's primary equipment and was able to simultaneously overlay the dose information onto the scanned 3D images. Using data like this, a licensee would be able to make informed technical and personnel decisions on methods to remediate, shield or properly dispose of the radioactive source term. MANUELA can be used throughout the decommissioning process to validate progress and continue to refine the work activities to optimize the efforts of the crew which reduces downtime waiting for survey results, whereas traditional survey methodology relies on a physical survey to be performed and the data transcribed onto survey maps that are only two dimensional. The traditional format tends to be inaccurate and difficult to interpret the precise location(s) of hot spots or generalized dose rates. The resultant scan also allows the user to know the exact extent of the survey versus transposing information onto a map with only a portion of the map area scanned. MANUELA also compiles all of the relevant survey data into a downloadable table format which includes the measurement identification number, time stamp, point space location on the XYZ plane, and the dose rate value. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Modeling and Simulation of Advanced Manufacturing Techniques using MOOSE and MALAMUTE

Advanced manufacturing techniques offer increased geometry complexity, energy and material usage efficiency improvements, and an expanded palette of materials as compared to conventional manufacturing approaches. Advanced-manufacturing-produced parts can experience wide variations in the final microstructure, and these microstructure variations significantly impact the parts’ performance. In this chapter, we present recent code developments within Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) and in the MOOSE Application Library for Advanced Manufacturing UTilitiEs (MALAMUTE). Here we demonstrate applying these modeling and simulation codes to two advanced manufacturing process types: advanced sintering techniques and laser-based additive manufacturing techniques. The multiphysics and multiscale capabilities of these codes enable prediction of the microstructure evolution resulting from variations in the Advanced manufacturing process parameters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Leveraging a Neural Network-Enhanced Reproducing Kernel Particle Method for Multiphysics Degradation Modeling of Energy Storage Materials

Energy storage materials exhibit strong electro-chemo-mechanical coupling and highly anisotropic material properties, contributing to the formation and propagation of micro-cracking during charge/discharge cycling and resulting in reduced performance and service life. A coupled electro-chemo-mechanical reproducing kernel particle method (RKPM) formulation has been developed to analyze this system. With microstructural images supplied by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), pixel-based model construction by RKPM is used to represent the complex material microstructures that dictate the coupled physics of these systems. Traditional electro-chemo-mechanical models rely on mesh-based finite element methods, which can lead to difficulties in meshing such complex geometries and capturing crack propagation due to mesh dependency. Here, a neural network-enhanced reproducing kernel particle method (NN-RKPM) [1, 2] is introduced to effectively model damage and crack propagation in the material microstructures; the location, orientation, and solution transition near a localization are automatically captured by superimposed block-level NN optimizations. This NN enrichment approach allows for effective modeling of localizations via a fixed background discretization, relieving tedious efforts for adaptive refinement in traditional mesh-based methods. Applications to the heterogeneous microstructures of Li-ion battery cathodes will be presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. NN-RKPM is additionally used to inform how crack opening and closure in turn affect the coupled chemical equations and material microstructure. Reference: [1] Baek, J., Chen, J. S., Susuki, K., "Neural Network enhanced Reproducing Kernel Particle Method for Modeling Localizations," International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Vol. 123, pp 4422-4454, https://doi.org/10.1002/nme.7040, 2022. [2] Baek, J., Chen, J. S., "A Neural Network-Based Enrichment of Reproducing Kernel Approximation for Modeling Brittle Fracture", Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering Vol. 410, 116590, 2024.

degradation↗
DOE OSTI2024

Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Property of 316L Stainless Steel Produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

The advanced non-light water reactor designs (Gen IV reactors), including molten salt/ very high temperature/ sodium-cooled and lead-cooled fast reactors, typically operate at higher temperatures and more extreme radiation conditions than light water reactors. An intrinsic part of the deployment and progress of Gen IV reactor designs is selecting the most suitable structural material for a specific application. Additive manufacturing (AM), a fairly new process of making physical, three-dimensional objects from a computer design file, is going to completely change the way of design, build and certify nuclear systems. It offers a range of opportunities to produce complex geometries from existing materials, offers new routes for processing of previously difficult to process materials, allows for design of new high-performance materials, and finally facilitates hybridization of dissimilar materials. This emerging technology has successfully produced cars, wind turbine blade molds and even live cells. It could also open up big opportunities for the nuclear industry to quickly deploy technologies at a fraction of the cost. So far, AM techniques have been preliminarily applied in the field of nuclear reactors, including the classical parts such as the pressure vessel of a small reactor with 508-III steel, the bottom nozzle of a fuel assembly with 304L steel, the fuel cladding with zirconium alloy and the integrated impeller of a pump and the multi-channel valve body with 316L steel [6,7]. The AM applications for operating nuclear reactors started in auxiliary plant components and have slowly migrated to metallic reactors and core components, but many of these are not safety critical components. Although many parts used for nuclear reactors have been fabricated by AM techniques, practical applications in engineering are still a long way off due to the uncertainty factors focused on the processing, material properties, analysis methods and application standards, which feeds the safety and life-cycle of the nuclear reactor. Due to rapid, repeated heating and cooling during production, a high dislocation density was present in the AM material. This microstructure feature is unstable at elevated temperature while high temperature is one of the typical operation environments for nuclear reactors. Thus, it is important to understand the thermal effect on the microstructure of AM material. The objectives of this study are to investigate the effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel produced by laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing, and to determine an appropriate heat treatment practice that will be applied to the lightweight AM lattice-structured material with the same chemistry. The heat treatment study consisted of annealing the samples at a temperature range of 800 to 1200 oC with a 50 oC increment for different times (1-24 hours), followed by vacuum or air cooling. Microstructural characterization was carried out by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Grain size and crystallographic orientation were investigated by Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD). Vickers hardness tests with a 0.5 kg load were employed to determine the hardness of samples after different heat treatments. After heat treatment, the random crystallographic orientation was preserved, and the volume fraction of high-angle grain boundaries (grain boundary misorientation =15 oC) remained the same. The dislocation density decreased with annealing temperature due to recovery. The fine subgrain structures in the as-printed specimen were quite stable up to 1200 oC. Minimal recrystallization was observed up to 1200 oC. Recrystallization initiated only after 8.5 hours at 1200 oC. The SEM images did not show obvious dependence of microstructure on cooling rate. The hardness of the specimens decreased with increasing annealing temperature as a result of the decrease in dislocation density. It is interesting to note that the AM material showed very similar hardness to the wrought material when annealing at similar temperature, although the microstructures are very different. Annealing at 1050 oC for 1 hour followed by air cooling was selected as the heat treatment procedure for the lattice designed lightweight AM 316L material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Additive Manufacturing of Lightweight Structures: Microfibrillated Cellulose – PLA Biofoams

Extrusion-based polymer additive manufacturing (AM) technology is growing rapidly. The introduction of fiber reinforced feedstock materials and recent developments in the manufacturing systems have promulgated large scale AM of composites to create new industries and applications. Synthetic fibers such as carbon and glass fibers are commonly used to reinforce polymer composites. However, increasing environmental and long-term sustainability concerns are leading to new materials using cellulose fiber reinforcement in bio-derived polymers. These materials offer new property sets, new supply chains and have the potential to provide economical solutions leading to new applications. Large scale AM can be attractive for many different applications because of its ability to freeform manufacture complex geometries; each application may require different material properties. One of the novel application areas for large scale AM is 3D printing of lightweight materials via foaming. Although achieving low density is the key in light weighting via foaming, mechanical performance is also important for many applications. In this study the impact of micro-cellulose fibers (MFC) on foaming behavior and the mechanical properties of additively manufactured parts is investigated. MFC-polylactic acid (PLA) feedstock pellets were prepared at varying MFC content (5, 10, 15 and 20 wt.%) to understand the impact of cellulose fiber content on density and mechanical properties of the AM biocomposites. Also, the impact of extrusion speed and foaming agent content on the AM biocomposites is investigated. Although achieving uniform printed foam structure is challenging with the presence of cellulose fibers, promising results were accomplished with density values below 0.5g/cm3.

Tekinalp, Halil↗
DOE OSTI2021

Additive manufacturing of power poles using bamboo-polymer composites: A quick solution for power grid restoration

Polymer additive manufacturing (AM) technology is rapidly growing and its transition to become an advanced manufacturing technique now offers possibilities for unconventional applications. One of these potential applications is on site additive manufacturing of power poles. During natural incidents such as storms and hurricanes, power lines can be severely damaged and there may not be sufficient spare power poles to replace. In such situations, additive manufacturing of power poles on site can offer a fast, temporary solution during emergencies. The ability of freeform manufacturing of parts with complex geometries makes large scale AM attractive for various applications; however, due to residual stress build up and need for different mechanical requirements for different applications, reinforcement of the AM feedstock is necessary. In addition to carbon and glass fibers, bio-derived fibers can also be used as a reinforcing phase, both to utilize the natural resources at the emergency area and in terms of long-term sustainability. In this project, design and additive manufacturing of a 13.1 m power pole was demonstrated. Three different feedstock material options (polystyrene, cellulose ester and polycarbonate reinforced with glass and bamboo fibers) and two different pole designs were investigated. As-printed part tensile properties both in printing and interlayer directions were measured and a power pole was printed as six pieces and put together successfully. Finally, a conceptual design of a portable power pole manufacturing approach was proposed.

Tekinalp, Halil↗
DOE OSTI2024

Advanced Instrumentation for Metal Additive Manufacturing

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is the most widely used process for metal additive manufacturing (AM), particularly where complex geometries provide performance advantages unattainable with traditional manufacturing techniques. However, LPBF is highly sensitive to innate variability in both the powder spreading and fusion steps, often leading to defects such as pores that are difficult to detect yet significantly impair component mechanical properties and fatigue life. This thesis presents a range of novel instruments enabling both precise assessment of powder layer characteristics and in-situ thermal metrology of metal AM to advance the quality control of LPBF. First, leveraging a custom X-ray microscope and a radiation-transport model developed through this work, transmission X-ray imaging is used to study spreading of thin metal powder layers. Effective layer depth is directly mapped at a process-relevant size scale, surpassing optical techniques that can only estimate local deposition from layer surface topography. Layer packing density and quality are shown to be influenced by powder flowability and particle size relative to nominal powder layer thickness. Layer quality is additionally connected to the geometry of the spreading implement and its velocity. This technique and its presented findings enable pairing feedstocks with spreading strategies that create layers with consistent packing density and uniformity. Second, a twofold approach is employed to optically interrogate the laser fusion step of LPBF for observing signatures of defect formation. Aperture division multiplexing is conceptualized, providing for simultaneous laser delivery and high-fidelity infrared (IR) process monitoring through a common optic. In-situ microscopy at 50 μm spatial resolution and at mid-wave IR wavelengths is proven readily achievable with the first purpose-built optic of this type. Next, a bespoke imaging spectrometer, along with a temperature-emissivity separation technique, is used to retrieve accurate process temperatures over a 1000 K range. Data from these instruments are correlated to porosity as fine as 4.3 μm in two LPBF test artifacts, as verified using computed tomography (CT), establishing the viability of robust optically-based component qualification.

Penny, Ryan↗
DOE OSTI2024

Additive manufacturing of complex objects using refractory matrix materials

A method for the manufacture of a three-dimensional object using a refractory matrix material is provided. The method includes the additive manufacture of a green body from a powder-based refractory matrix material followed by densification via chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). The refractory matrix material can be a refractory ceramic (e.g., silicon carbide, zirconium carbide, or graphite) or a refractory metal (e.g., molybdenum or tungsten). In one embodiment, the matrix material is deposited according to a binder-jet printing process to produce a green body having a complex geometry. The CVI process increases its density, provides a hermetic seal, and yields an object with mechanical integrity. The residual binder content dissociates and is removed from the green body prior to the start of the CVI process as temperatures increase in the CVI reactor. The CVI process selective deposits a fully dense coating on all internal and external surfaces of the finished object.

Terrani, Kurt A.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Accelerating detector simulations with Celeritas: profiling and performance optimizations

Celeritas is a GPU-optimized MC particle transport code designed to meet the growing computational demands of next-generation HEP experiments. It provides efficient simulation of EM physics processes in complex geometries with magnetic fields, detector hit scoring, and seamless integration into Geant4-driven applications to offload EM physics to GPUs. Recent efforts have focused on performance optimizations and expanding profiling capabilities. This paper presents some key advancements, including the integration of the Perfetto system profiling tool for detailed performance analysis and the development of track-sorting methods to improve computational efficiency.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

REFRACTORY COMPACT HEAT EXCHANGERS WITH EMBEDDED SENSORS ENABLED BY HYBRID ADVANCED SINTERING AND ADDITIVE APPROACH

Structural health monitoring (SHM) of compact heat exchangers (CHXs) operating in extreme environments is essential for ensuring system reliability, safety, and longevity. This study presents the development of high-temperature sensors fabricated via aerosol jet printing (AJP) using platinum ink, selected for its exceptional thermal stability, oxidation resistance, and electrical conductivity. AJP enables precise deposition of fine-feature sensor patterns onto complex geometries, making it well-suited for integration within CHX architectures. To enhance sensor durability, an alumina-based ceramic protective layer was printed over the platinum sensing elements. The sensors demonstrated stable, repeatable performance up to 900?°C during extended thermal cycling. A custom test setup was developed to evaluate sensor accuracy and robustness under steady-state and transient conditions. Substrate screening identified HG-1 ceramic-coated stainless steel as the most effective platform, offering strong adhesion and low resistance. Furthermore, electric field-assisted sintering (EFAS) was employed to embed the sensors into stainless steel 316L matrices without degrading their functionality. Post-embedding electrical tests confirmed sensor integrity, and initial characterization suggests strong potential for in-situ monitoring. This work provides a scalable strategy for integrating high-performance temperature sensors directly into refractory components, advancing embedded SHM technologies for harsh operating environments.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Domain-Decomposed A-ϕ Formulation Based on Lagrange Multipliers for Low-Frequency Problems

A domain-decomposed A-ϕ formulation based on Lagrange multipliers is proposed to simulate low-frequency elec- tromagnetic problems. This method partitions the computational domain into smaller subdomains, allowing each subdomain to be independently formulated using Lagrange multipliers as Dirichlet boundary conditions, while ensuring continuity of the fields across the interfaces. A mixed finite element method, utilizing both vector and scalar basis functions, is employed to discretize the formulation, resulting in a global system to be solved. The proposed method is validated using TEAM Problem 7 at 50 Hz, demonstrating its effectiveness in handling complex geometries and addressing the low-frequency breakdown issues commonly encountered in traditional finite element methods.

Hossain, Amzad↗
DOE OSTI2024

ECAR-6564 Rev 1 MARVEL Project Primary Coolant System ASME BPVC Section III Division 5 Design by Analysis

This report demonstrates that the MARVEL Reactor Primary Coolant Boundary (herein referred to as the Primary Coolant System, or PCS) is designed to meet ASME BPVC Section III Division 5 elevated temperature service design-by-analysis criteria. The analysis approach that delineates division of responsibilities to meet project objectives is discussed herein. In short, Design and Service Level A, B, and C code calculations are detailed in ECAR-6580 [9] for the majority of the PCS with complex geometry, while the Lower Downcomers, Bottom Head, and Reactor Core Barrel are analyzed in ANL-24/36. Service Level D code calculations are detailed in this document.

21 - SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLAN↗
DOE OSTI2023

Conformational dynamicity in a copper( ii ) coordination complex

The geometries of copper coordination complexes are intricately related to their electron transfer capabilities, but the role of dynamics in these processes are not fully understood. We have previously reported CuCl(dpa OMe ), a complex exhibiting conformational fluxionality in its Cu I state and rigidity upon oxidation to Cu II . Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of [CuCl(dpa SMe )] +/0 , a complex exhibiting relative rigidity in its CuI state and structural dynamics upon oxidation to Cu II . The dynamics of [CuCl(dpa SMe )] + were characterized via X-ray diffraction, cyclic voltammetry, and EPR spectroscopy, where temperature-dependent interconversion between trigonal bipyramidal and square pyramidal geometries is observed. Coupling these solid and solution-state characterization data enabled assignment of the coordination geometries involved. As a result, factors impacting these dynamics and their potential implications for electron transfer are discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1982

Observations on sub-critical flaw growth in complex cracked body geometries

This paper reviews an experimental method for estimating both flaw shapes and stress intensity factors for complex three dimensional cracked body problems encountered in the sub-critical flaw growth regime prior to instability. Examples of the use of the method are cited, and the energy-density approach is suggested as a theory of sufficient generality to accommodate the complex behaviors observed.

Smith, C. W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Surface grid generation for complex three-dimensional geometries

An outline is presented for the creation of surface grids from primitive geometry data such as obtained from CAD/CAM systems. The general procedure is applicable to any geometry including full aircraft with wing, nacelle, and empennage. When developed in an interactive graphics environment, a code based on this procedure is expected to substantially improve the turn around time for generating surface grids on complex geometries. Results are shown for a general hypersonic airplane geometry.

Luh, Raymond Ching-Chung↗
NASA NTRS1988

Surface grid generation for complex three-dimensional geometries

An outline is presented for the creation of surface grids from primitive geometry data such as obtained from CAD/CAM systems. The general procedure is applicable to any geometry including full aircraft with wing, nacelle, and empennage. When developed in an interactive graphics environment, a code base on this procedure is expected to substantially improve the turn around time for generating surface grids on complex geometries. Results are shown for a general hypersonic airplane geometry.

Luh, Raymond Ching-Chung↗
DOE OSTI2022

Layered CAD/CSG geometry for spatially complex radiation transport scenarios

Many spatially complex fission, fusion, and national security Monte Carlo (MC) radiation transport scenarios involve combining computer-aided design (CAD) models with constructive solid geometry (CSG) models. A layered geometry method has been implemented in the Shift MC code to address this need. With layered geometry, multiple CAD and/or CSG models can be clipped, translated, rotated, and placed in overlapping layers to form transport-ready geometries. Here, the utility of this method is demonstrated with two problems: (1) a fixed-source simulation with a layered geometry consisting of a LiDAR-generated CAD model of the Combined Arms Collective Training Facility urban environment overlaid with CSG models of a mock hotel and a detector apparatus, and (2) a k-eigenvalue calculation using a layered geometry model of the Transformational Challenge Reactor consisting of CAD fuel elements placed in a CSG core. Tallied particle flux distributions match expectations, but tracking robustness must be improved prior to general-purpose use.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗