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At least 847 records · Page 47

Engineered Barrier System Research Activities at LBNL (FY2020 Progress Report)

The design of a radioactive waste repository typically involves a multi-barrier system, including the natural barrier system (NBS), i.e., the host rock and its surrounding subsurface environment, and an engineered barrier system (EBS). The EBS is to be constructed from the man-made, engineered materials placed within a repository. The repository includes the waste form, waste canisters, buffer materials, backfill, and seals. The most common buffer material for EBS is compacted bentonite, which features low permeability and high retardation of radionuclides. Extensive studies concerning the behavior of bentonite backfill in crystalline and argillite/shale geologic environments for nuclear waste disposal have been conducted by means of laboratory experiments, numerical modeling, and large-scale in situ tests in Underground Research Laboratories (URLs) in Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Japan. This report includes the results of LBNL’s research activities conducted according to the objectives and scope of the work packages “SF-20LB01030802 Engineered Barrier System R&D - LBNL” and “SF-20LB01030806 Engineered Barrier System International Collaborations - LBNL” of the Spent Fuel and Waste Science and Technology (SFWST) (formerly called Used Fuel Disposal) Campaign of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy. LBNL research studies included laboratory scale tests and modeling of the evolution of the EBS bentonite and associated coupled processes, and impacts of high temperature on parameters and processes relevant to the performance of crystalline and argillite repositories, including the evaluation of the technical basis for applying the maximum allowable temperature. The results of these studies are being addressing the technical elements necessary to evaluate the EBS design concepts. Emphasis is on the study of thermal, mechanical, and chemical processes that influence the performance of EBS, and the development of modeling capability for reliable assessment of these processes, and ultimately supporting the development of the GDSA model with detailed coupled THMC process models.

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Safety Analysis Report for Packaging, Y-12 National Security Complex, Model ES-3100 Package with Bulk HEU Contents

This safety analysis report for packaging (SARP) presents the results of the safety analysis prepared in support of the Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS) request for licensing of the Model ES-3100 package with bulk highly enriched uranium (HEU) contents and issuance of a Type B(U) Fissile Material Certificate of Compliance. This SARP, published in the format specified in the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Regulatory Guide 7.9 and using information provided in UCID-21218 and NRC Regulatory Guide 7.10, demonstrates that the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) ES-3100 package with bulk HEU contents meets the established NRC regulations for packaging, preparation for shipment, and transportation of radioactive materials given in Title 10, Part 71, of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) [10 CFR 71] as well as U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations for packaging and shipment of hazardous materials given in Title 49 CFR. To protect the health and safety of the public, shipments of radioactive materials are made in packaging that is designed, fabricated, assembled, tested, procured, used, maintained, and repaired in accordance with the provisions cited above. Safety requirements addressed by the regulations that must be met when transporting radioactive materials are containment of radioactive materials, radiation shielding, and assurance of nuclear subcriticality.

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Salt International Collaborations (FY22 Update)

This report summarizes the international collaborations conducted by Sandia funded by the US Department of Energy Office (DOE) of Nuclear Energy Spent Fuel and Waste Science & Technology (SFWST) as part of the Sandia National Laboratories Salt R&D and Salt International work packages. This report satisfies the level-three milestone M3SF-22SN010303063. Several stand-alone sections make up this summary report, each completed by the participants. The sections discuss international collaborations on geomechanical benchmarking exercises (WEIMOS), granular salt reconsolidation (KOMPASS), engineered barriers (RANGERS), numerical model comparison (DECOVALEX) and an NEA Salt Club working group on the development of scenarios as part of the performance assessment development process. Finally, we summarize events related to the US/German Workshop on Repository Research, Design and Operations. The work summarized in this annual update has occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, and little international or domestic travel has occurred. Most of the collaborations have been conducted via email or as virtual meetings, but a slow return to travel and in-person meetings has begun.

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Characterization of Volume F Trash from Four Recent STS Missions: Weights, Categorization, Water Content

The fate of space-generated solid wastes, including trash, for future missions is under consideration by NASA. Several potential treatment options are under consideration and active technology development. Potential fates for space-generated solid wastes are: Storage without treatment; storage after treatment(s) including volume reduction, water recovery, sterilization, and recovery plus recycling of waste materials. Recycling might be important for partial or full closure scenarios because of the prohibitive costs associated with resupply of consumable materials. For this study, we determined the composition of trash returned from four recent STS missions. The trash material was 'Volume F' trash and other trash, in large zip-lock bags, that accompanied the Volume F trash. This is the first of two submitted papers on these wastes. This one will cover trash content, weight and water content. The other will report on the microbial Characterization of this trash. STS trash was usually made available within 2 days of landing at KSC. The Volume F bag was weighed, opened and the contents were catalogued and placed into one of the following categories: food waste (and containers), drink containers, personal hygiene items - including EVA maximum absorbent garments (MAGs)and Elbow packs (daily toilet wipes, etc), paper, and packaging materials - plastic firm and duct tape. Trash generation rates for the four STS missions: Total wet trash was 0.602 plus or minus 0.089 kg(sub wet) crew(sup -1) d(sup -1) containing about 25% water at 0.154 plus or minus 0.030 kg(sub water) crew(sup -1) d(sup -1) (avg plus or minus stdev). Cataloguing by category: personal hygiene wastes accounted for 50% of the total trash and 69% of the total water for the four missions; drink items were 16% of total weight and 16% water; food wastes were 22% of total weight and 15% of the water; office waste and plastic film were 2% and 11% of the total waste and did not contain any water. The results can be used by NASA to determine requirements and criteria for Waste Management Systems on future missions.

Strayer, Richard F.↗

Demonstration of friction stir Welding (FSW) Technology for packaging of used nuclear fuel - 15025

With uncertainty surrounding the disposal of US Used Nuclear Fuel (UNF), the nuclear industry is making an effort to identify an interim storage solution. One of the alternatives is to simply manage UNF on-site until a permanent repository can be established - extended storage. In an effort to provide a technical basis for extended storage, the Department of Energy (DOE) performed a gap analysis identifying several issues that need to be addressed. One of the issues relates to the performance of the UNF dry storage container (DSC). DSC container welds (fabricated using conventional fusion welding processes) are sensitive to Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC), and their extended-term performance is questionable. Fluor, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) believe that Friction Stir Welding (FSW) technology may be able to address the DSC issue. The Fluor team collaborated on a project to demonstrate feasibility of FSW for DSC packaging (closure-welding). This paper reports on a 2-year project in which FSW process conditions were established (for DSC container materials and dimensions) and used in the preparation of mechanical and corrosion specimens for testing and evaluation. In addition to FSW test specimens, fusion welded specimens were prepared and tested in like manner for comparative purposes. The results show excellent mechanical properties (meeting construction code requirements) and significant improvement in corrosion performance - over the fusion welded specimens. It is believed these findings will be of significant value to efforts underway to provide a technical basis for DSC extended storage performance. FSW technology appears to be an acceptable alternative or candidate process, capable of addressing the SCC sensitivity issues associated with fusion-welded DSC fabrication welds. In addition, as an alternative to on-site, extended storage of UNF, the DOE has proposed the development and construction of a Consolidated Interim Storage Facility (CISF). UNF would be accepted from the many, local sites for consolidation at one or more CISFs until a permanent repository could be established. A recent CISF study indicates that UNF currently packaged into DSCs will likely be re-packaged into containers suitable for permanent storage. The study also indicates that re-packaging is best performed under water in a pool. FSW technology has several specific advantages for this application, 1) because it utilizes machine-tool equipment, a welding station can easily perform a cutting operation, and 2) FSW has been successfully demonstrated capable of joining container materials under water. (authors)

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Performance Assessment for the E-Area Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility at the Savannah River Site: Chapter 3

This chapter summarizes safety functions and features, events, and processes; conceptual models which apply to all DUs; property data packages; and modeling tools developed and implemented in this PA to analyze ELLWF performance. Conceptual models of GW flow and transport in the VZ, which are specific to type of DU, are presented in Chapter 4.

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Simple Waste Solutions for Complex Facilities - 12433

The buildings in the 300 Area, including several Category 3 nuclear facilities are undergoing deactivation, decommissioning, decontamination and demolition (D4) by Washington Closure Hanford (WCH) as part of the River Corridor Closure Contract (RCCC). The D4 process has generated a wide variety of low-level radioactive and low-level radioactive mixed waste as well as TRU. The Hanford Site-wide Transportation Safety Document (TSD) has been successfully utilized to transport waste streams that otherwise would not be able to be shipped. The TSD accomplished this by establishing a comprehensive set of onsite transportation and packaging performance standards and risk-based standards. The requirements and standards presented are equivalent to DOT and NRC standards (10 CFR 71). (authors)

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Cleanup under Airlock of an Old Uranium Foundry - 13273

Since 2004, AREVA's subsidiary SICN has been conducting the cleanup and dismantling of an old uranium foundry located in the town of Annecy (France). The first operations consisted in the removal of the foundry's production equipment, producing more than 300 metric tons (MT) of waste. The second step consisted in performing the radiological characterization of the 1,600 m{sup 2} (17,200 ft{sup 2}) building, including underground trenches and galleries. The building was precisely inventoried, based on operations records and direct measurements. All sub-surfaces, which needed to be cleaned up were characterized, and a determination of the contamination migration was established, in particular with trenches and galleries. The wall thicknesses to be treated were empirically justified, knowing that the maximal migration depth inside concrete is 5 mm for a liquid transfer vector. All singularities such as cracks, anchoring points, etc. were spotted for a complete and systematic treatment. Building structures not laying directly on the soil, such as floor slabs, were not cleaned up but directly deconstructed and disposed of as waste. The facility was located within the town of Annecy. Therefore, in order to avoid the risk of dusts dispersion and public exposure during the building deconstruction and the soil treatment, a third of the building's surface was confined in a sliding airlock built from a metal structure capable of resisting to wind and snow, which are frequent in this area. This particular structure provided a static confinement over the half of the building which was covered and a dynamic confinement using a ventilation and high efficiency air filtration system, sized to provide 2.5 air changes per hour. The enclosure and its metallic structure is 33 m long (108 feet), 25 m wide (82 feet), and 13 m high (42 feet), for a volume of 10,000 m{sup 3} (353,000 ft{sup 3}). It was made up of a double skin envelope, allowing the recycling of its structure and outside envelope. After cleaning up and dismantling the first portion of the building, the enclosure was repositioned on the second and the last third of the building, by sliding it on support pads. Almost 7,000 m{sup 2} of concrete surface has been treated with no dust dispersion outside the enclosure. After treatment, all the remaining surfaces were controlled by an independent entity to verify their acceptability with regards to residual contamination (less than 0.4 Bq/cm{sup 2} (24 DPM) for alpha contamination and less than 1 Bq/g of total uranium). Approximately 1,900 MT of equipment and waste were generated in batches of 1m{sup 3}, in order to be staged on site, and then characterized and packaged in 20 foot containers for shipment to the final ANDRA repository. The package certification included the verification of the physical and chemical characteristics and the radiological characteristics (mass activity, dose rate, and residual outside surface contamination). Finally, after cleanup and dismantling of the foundry, a concrete slab was poured on the free surface as a clean base for implementation of new activities. (authors)

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Microreactor Incident-Free Transportation Radiation Dose Assessment

This report, prepared by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, provides an estimate of the radiation dose related to the transportation of microreactors following the regulatory limits established in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 71.47(b). The transportation of irradiated microreactors poses unique challenges. Microreactors may be challenged to meet the current 10 mrem/hr limit at 2 meters from the vehicle in 10 CFR 71.47(b). The need to modify packaging to be within practical weight and size limits for shipping may limit the amount of shielding that can be applied for a microreactor transportation package design. Operational strategies that would necessitate moving a reactor within a short time after its operating life may result in higher radiation dose rates associated with lower cooling times. This study estimates the radiation dose to maximally exposed individuals (MEIs) under the current regulatory radiation level limit of 10 mrem/hr at 2 meters from the vehicle as well as alternative limits of 10, 50, 100, and 200 mrem/hr at 2 meters from the vehicle. This analysis expands on prior incident free transportation radiation dose assessments conducted for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and radioactive waste transportation. The key factors analyzed include the microreactor fuel type and burnup, shipment cooling periods, shielding designs integrated into transport packaging, and exposure scenarios for MEIs for highway and rail transport. This report considers additional distances that may be associated with compensatory measures to ensure safe transport conditions under varying radiation dose limits, including enhanced routing measures, escort protocols, vehicle inspections, and operational restrictions.

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MARIE: A Python-Based Framework for Comprehensive Fuel Recycling Modeling

One of the most pressing challenges to the continued deployment of nuclear energy systems is in the ultimate management and disposition of discharged fuel assemblies. While reprocessing and recovery of valuable materials from UNF assemblies has been considered as part of an overall strategy for minimization of the volume of reactor-based wastes to be managed, the deployment of commercial-scale reprocessing facilities presents an enormous economic challenge. The MARIE software package has been developed as a means of confronting this challenge. Representing components of a generic fuel reprocessing operation as individual physical processes, MARIE is designed as a modular framework intended to allow for analysis and cost-optimization for a hypothetical reprocessing facility while realistically accounting for the physical characteristics of the used fuel source term, such as decay heat, activity, and radiation dose (informing corresponding shielding requirements). Capabilities supported by MARIE include head-end operations such as fuel shearing, voloxidation, and dissolution; generic solvent extraction operations informed by available open-literature data; a suite of unit operations intended to represent electrochemical processing of used fuel assemblies (i.e., oxide reduction, electrorefining, and electrowinning); and finally, accounting for both costs and physical features of discharged waste streams, which can be used to inform follow-on analyses such as the feasibility of deep-borehole disposal of HLW. This paper presents an overview of the MARIE software capabilities, including how individual unit operations are implemented to enable a larger-scale optimization of a hypothetical reprocessing operation on aspects such as cost and recovery of valuable materials.

Skutnik, Steve [ORNL] (ORCID:000000016441135X)↗

Peer Review Comments on the Authorized Limits Technical Document (OREM-19-2573) for Disposal of Waste Containing Residual Radioactive Material at the U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Landfill IV, Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Argonne National Laboratory is assigned responsibility by DOE/EM-4 to conduct a peer review of the proposed Authorized Limits (ALs) for disposal of waste containing residual radioactive material at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Landfill IV, Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The ALs document package (Document Number OREM-19-2573, dated May 2020) was sent to Argonne by DOE on June 1, 2020 (Oak Ridge 2020a). Argonne started the review immediately and held several BlueJeans meetings with Oak Ridge and DOE to discuss review comments. The first BlueJeans meeting was June 17, 2020. Oak Ridge presented a briefing of the AL package, followed by discussion of the assumptions, methodology, and parameters used in the analysis. A follow-up BlueJeans meeting was held on June 24, 2020, at which Argonne presented both general and specific review comments in PowerPoint slides. This set of slides - Review Comments on the “Authorized Limits for Disposal of Waste Containing Residual Radioactive Material at DOE Industrial Landfill IV, Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, Tennessee” - was then emailed to Oak Ridge and DOE after the BlueJeans meeting on June 24, 2020. A PDF version of this slide set is included as Appendix A.

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Investigating the Role of Acid Sites in the Hydrocracking of Polyethylene-EVOH Multilayer Film Waste over Pt/BEA Catalyst

Multilayer polymer films (MFs) containing poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) (EVOH) and polyolefins are ubiquitous in single-use food and medical packaging. MFs are currently landfilled or incinerated rather than mechanically recycled because of the processing difficulties associated with their form factor and complex multicomponent structures. Advanced chemical recycling is a promising solution. Prior reports have explored hydrogenolysis and hydrodeoxygenation to convert EVOH, but these technologies are limited by catalyst deactivation and slow apparent kinetics, respectively. Alternatively, in this work, we demonstrate the efficient hydrocracking of commercial MFs into naphtha range (C5-C12) alkanes over platinum (Pt) supported on acidic zeolites. Mixtures of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and EVOH are utilized as MF surrogates to gain fundamental insights. Pt deposited on BEA supports with varying Lewis acid site (LAS) concentrations are synthesized and tested for hydrocracking. Surprisingly, Pt/BEA with high LAS concentrations demonstrate improved activity for LPDE/EVOH blends over LDPE alone. In contrast, LAS concentrations are shown to have no influence on LDPE hydrocracking. LAS and Brønsted acid sites (BAS) catalyze the dehydration of EVOH to form water, which improves LDPE hydrocracking. Polyaromatics formed primarily via EVOH thermal degradation lead to detrimental coke formation, which hinders hydrocracking activity. Reaction conditions and feed ratios of LDPE and EVOH are tuned to balance these competing effects. Reusability tests demonstrate that Pt/BEA maintains high activity (81% conversion in 2 h) and high selectivity towards naphtha (78%) over multiple reuse cycles. Furthermore, these findings position hydrocracking as a promising technology for the circularity of complex MF plastic waste.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Using FENOSOL{sup TM} Phenolic Foam as a Shock Absorber for Type B Packaging - 17256

Type B and fissile material transportation packages are designed to withstand deformation from dynamic forces experienced during impacts in hypothetical accident conditions. A critical aspect is to ensure the containment system is not breached. The package design normally includes impact limiters made up of a shell filled with energy-absorbing material. Various types of materials are used as energy absorbers, including wood, foam, and honeycomb structures. Synthetic foam is an ideal material for impact limiters; it has isotropic material properties, it acts as a heat insulator during fire conditions, and it maintains structural integrity at high temperatures. In addition, the density of the foam may be controlled during the manufacturing process, allowing the cask designer flexibility to select the right density for each application. The foam properties can be used as inputs for numerical simulations of dynamic impacts. These simulations are a key component of the safety analysis report for Type B transportation casks. Robatel has recently invested in equipment to produce FENOSOL{sup TM} phenolic foam in our factory for use in our cask designs. This acquisition was made jointly between Robatel and the CEA, with Robatel ensuring the industrialization of the product. In the past decade, this foam was successfully integrated into more than 10 European cask designs, and there has been extensive in-laboratory characterization of its properties. FENOSOL{sup TM} has already been accepted by the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) as a shock absorbing material for use in cask designs. Since the acquisition of the phenolic foam production process by Robatel, a new research and development program has been launched to provide more accurate information to our clients, extend the range of application of this foam, and to improve its properties. Robatel has built an extensive database of material characteristics through the use of a universal mechanical tester, a scanning electron microscope, and a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. In addition, Robatel has successfully implemented FENOSOL{sup TM} in two recent cask designs. This included scale model drop testing of a 9 meter drop in three orientations, and a pin puncture drop test. Robatel is in the process of producing FENOSOL{sup TM} samples for testing according to ASTM standards. Various densities will be included in the study. The testing will include duro-meter hardness, specific heat, thermal conductivity, compressive strength and modulus, and tensile strength. Once the testing is complete, Robatel will compile the data in the form of product specification sheets for each density. These information sheets and test reports will be used to validate FENOSOL{sup TM} for use in future impact limiters for the North American Type B cask market. (authors)

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Hanford Site Composite Analysis Special Analysis: P2R Model Predictive Contaminant Transport Simulations - Sensitivity Case

This environmental calculation file (ECF) documents the methodologies, assumptions, and results of predictive fate and transport simulations using the Plateau-to-River (P2R) model. This ECF supports the reevaluation of the representativeness of solid-waste radionuclide inventory and release rate from three solid waste sites included in the recently completed Hanford Site Composite Analysis (CA) (DOE-RL-2019-52, Composite Analysis for Low-Level Waste Disposal in the Hanford Site Central Plateau (FY 2020)). Specifically, this ECF supports the reevaluation of the representativeness of the base case inventory and radionuclide waste release rates from three solid waste sites (i.e., 218-E-12B, 218-W-3A and 218-W-3AE) and two radionuclides (carbon-14 [C-14] and technetium [Tc-99]). These three waste sites and two radionuclides were identified as being the most significant contributors to groundwater contamination and dose in the CA at time periods after the compliance period. The release rates and footprints of the releases from the vadose zone are implemented in the fate and transport modeling utilizing the HSS package.

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TOUGH2 V2.1

TOUGH2 is a numerical simulator for nonisothermal flows of multicomponent, multiphase fluids in one-, two-, and three-dimensional porous and fracture media. The chief applications for which TOUGH2 is designed are in geothermal reservoir engineering, nuclear waste disposal, environmental assessment and remediation, geologic carbon sequestration, and unsaturated and saturated zone hydrology. The TOUGH2 V2.1 package is an upgrade of TOUGH2 V2.0 (CR-1574) and includes the following improvements and enhancements relative to TOUGH2 V2.0: - Includes all known bug fixes - The module TMVOC (CR-1820) is fully integrated - The module ECO2N (CR-2202) is fully integrated - A fluid property module ECO2M has been added, that can seamlessly model CO2 storage and leakage scenarios, including transitions between super- and sub-critical fluids, and phase changes between liquid and gaseous CO2. The TOUGH2 V2.1 package also supports all legacy fluid property modules, i.e., those packaged into TOUGH2 V2.0 (CR-1574), which includes T2VOC (CR-1254).

Oldenburg, CurtisM↗

Compression Stress-Relaxation and Oxygen Consumption Behavior of 9975 Shipping Package O-rings

The 9975 shipping package is used within the DOE complex for shipping special nuclear materials. The shipping packages are currently approved for up to 20 years storage in K-Area Complex (KAC) and work continues to provide technical basis to extend that period. Several techniques have been used at Savannah River National Laboratory to monitor the aging performance of Viton ® GLT or GLT-S fluoroelastomer O-rings. These experiments all involve accelerated aging of the O-ring samples at elevated temperatures. This report describes efforts to extend the service life estimate of GLT and GLT-S O-rings used in the 9975 shipping package.

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SR-1 Freedom Thermal Architecture Challenges

The SR-1 Freedom mission aims to demonstrate nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) and deliver the Skyfall helicopter payload to Mars. Repurposing the existing Gateway Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) spacecraft and combining it with a 20 kWe-class nuclear power module (NPM) presents a variety of thermal architecture challenges. These include unprecedented waste heat rejection requirements, integration with a spacecraft bus originally designed for a different mission profile, and novel packaging constraints. This presentation will describe the simplified concept of operations as it relates to on-orbit thermal environments, early-phase architecture trades and supporting analyses, and planned forward work. We will also discuss our strategy for integrated thermal modeling of the complete spacecraft and examples of interface challenges necessitated by this ambitious effort.

Thermal↗