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At least 865 records · Page 48
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Virtual Simulation of Spent Nuclear Fuel Repackaging Facility Design Concepts - 19479

This paper presents recent implementation of virtual simulation of SNF repackaging facility operation. The development was based on recent wet and dry facility design concepts. The development involved creating equipment and facility models and implementation of discrete event simulation of large-scale facility-level operation. Lastly, it presented how a hardware-in-the-loop simulation is possible and that a good amount of accuracy was retained from virtual simulation to hardware simulation for the tested configuration. It is expected that this type of simulation will act as a proof of concept for system engineers and help them make more informed decisions when considering potential solutions for SNF handling and disposal. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

Packaged scalable energy information systems for hotels

Purpose: Building energy information systems (EIS) are performance monitoring software, data acquisition hardware and communication systems used to store, analyze and display building energy data. Some $60bn are spent annually on wasted energy in the US buildings, and actions taken based on EIS data can enable operational energy savings of approximately 10 per cent in the US commercial sector (approximately two quads of primary energy). However, EIS adoption is low because of various technical and market challenges. This paper aims to provide technical specifications for standardized EIS packages that can help overcome barriers and accelerate scale. Design/methodology/approach: Here, a five-step approach was followed: identifying business drivers as key determinants for hotel sector-specific packages; addressing heterogeneity to develop standardized, tiered packages; determining performance metrics for key stakeholders; recommending streamlined data architecture; and developing visualization enabling insights and actions. Findings: Technical specifications for two tiers (entry and advanced) of EIS packages for hotels have been developed. EIS vendor, integrator and client organization’s facilities and IT staff have been considered as key stakeholders. Findings from six field demonstrations show benefits of cost-effectiveness, through reduced transactional, first and operational costs, scalability, by accommodating heterogeneity across the building sub-sector, simplicity, by integrating meters, gateways and software in the package and actionability in organizations, across various decision-making levels. Originality/value: Building owners and operators can use these specifications to ease procurement and installation of EIS in their facilities. EIS software vendors can use them to develop new product offerings for underserved sectors.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2015

Annual Transuranic Waste Inventory Report – 2015 (Data Cutoff Date 12/31/2014)

The purpose of this Annual Transuranic Waste Inventory Report – 2015 (ATWIR-2015) is to document the updated inventory estimate of transuranic (TRU) waste reported by the TRU waste generator sites as of December 31, 2014. This updated inventory information is provided to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) and is available to the DOE TRU waste complex, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) stakeholders, and regulators. The TRU waste inventory information is used for strategic planning, supports DOE/CBFO’s input into documents (e.g., WIPP Documented Safety Analysis and National Environmental Policy Act analyses), the development of new containers or shipping packages, planned change requests, and other design changes that may take place in the repository. Furthermore, if requested by DOE/CBFO, this report will provide the basis for the Performance Assessment Inventory Report for performance assessment modeling. This report focuses on the TRU waste stored or projected to be generated (up through calendar year [CY] 2033) at the TRU waste generator sites.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2026

Counterintuitive Compatibilization of Poly(-Valerolactone) and Poly(L-Lactic Acid) by Statistical Copolymers toward Compostable and Recyclable Packaging

Poly(δ-valerolactone) (PVL) and poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) are bioderivable, compostable, and chemically recyclable plastics with synergistic properties for addressing plastic waste accumulation in receiving environments. Though recyclable-by-design polymers often fall short of competing with incumbent materials, blending affords a means to leverage individual component strengths toward ideal tunable properties. Polymer blends are often immiscible, but a range of methodologies are available to promote mixing. Here, we report on the compatibilization of 9 immiscible PVL and PLLA blends with three different compatibilization agents: thermoplastic starch, synthesized PVL-co-PLLA statistical copolymers (SCPs), and synthesized PVL-b-PLLA block-type copolymers. Resulting degrees of compatibilization are observed through scanning electron microscopy, corroborated by thermal and mechanical analyses monitoring performance as a function of microdomain size. Small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering experiments are conducted to observe the influence of compatibilizers on individual crystalline phases to further elucidate material behavior. Molecular dynamics simulations provide key insights into the interfacial interactions between homopolymers and compatibilizers. Finally, a suite of end-of-life avenues is established by biodegradation in industrial composting conditions, chemical recycling by deconstruction to hydroxymethyl esters, and direct chemical depolymerization to lactone precursors in mixed feed. Overall, we highlight several promising blends and the counterintuitive SCP compatibilization phenomenon toward high-performance, sustainable materials.

Compatibilization, copolymer compatibilizer, bio-b↗
DOE OSTI2020

Component-In-Grout Model Implementation for the E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility's Performance Assessment

The component-in-grout (CIG) disposal units are below grade earthen trenches that contain grout encapsulated waste components. Components disposed of within the CIG segments consist of large radioactively contaminated equipment and smaller waste forms (e.g., B-25 boxes and SeaLand containers) to fill the space around and above the large equipment. In the 2022 revision of the E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility’s (ELLWF) performance assessment, groundwater radionuclide contaminant transport through the vadose zone will be modeled using the PORFLOW software package for nine existing CIG segments located within the Slit Trench (ST) 23 footprint - no additional CIG segments are planned for at this time. The nine CIG segments have been placed within two of the nominally 20-foot-wide by 656-foot-long ST segments and are surrounded by no less than 1 foot of grout on all sides and up to 4 feet of backfill material. The two most recently placed CIG segments have an additional reinforced concrete mat to improve structural stability.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

Annual Transuranic Waste Inventory Report – 2016 (Data Cutoff Date 12/31/2015)

The purpose of this Annual Transuranic Waste Inventory Report – 2016 (ATWIR-2016), using a cutoff date of December 31, 2015, is to document the updated inventory estimate of transuranic (TRU) waste reported by the TRU waste generator sites in the Annual Transuranic Waste Inventory Report – 2015 (ATWIR-2015) (DOE 2015a) that had a cutoff date of December 31, 2014. This updated inventory information is provided to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) and is available to the DOE TRU waste complex, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) stakeholders, and regulators. The TRU waste inventory information is used for strategic planning, and supports DOE/CBFO’s input into documents (e.g., WIPP Documented Safety Analysis and National Environmental Policy Act analyses), the development of new containers or shipping packages, planned change requests, and other design changes that may take place in the repository. Furthermore, if requested by DOE/CBFO, this report will provide the basis for the Performance Assessment Inventory Report for performance assessment (PA) modeling. This report focuses on the TRU waste stored or projected to be generated (up through calendar year [CY] 2050) at the TRU waste generator sites.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2015

Shortage of Type B LLRW Casks in the US to Serve Nuclear Plants and National Labs - 15663

In early 2012, the industry experienced sudden shortage of Type B Low Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) transport casks available for transportation of nuclear waste and sealed sources within the United States (US) of America. Some of the events which created this situation include, but not limited to, opening of a new LLRW Disposal facility (Andrews County, TX) managed by Waste Control Specialists (WCS) for Class A, B and C LLRW, retirement of vast majority of previously certified Type B LLRW transport packages, more stringent regulatory certification requirements and increased demand for LLRW transportation casks to support decommissioning of nuclear power plant and transportation of sealed sources. Cask designers are still in the process of responding to the emerging needs of the industry. This paper will provide a detailed background and discuss the events that have occurred in recent years that have led to a shortage of Type B LLRW transport casks available to service the industry with transportation of resins, used filters, irradiated hardware and sealed sources. In addition, this paper will provide an overview of currently available, being fabricated Type B packages as well as information about the tentative designs of Type B LLRW transport casks to be designed and certified in the US by cask design/manufacturing firms in the near future. In conclusion section, this paper will summarize whether the LLRW Type B transport cask supply market for discussed payloads will be able to adequately respond to the industry demand. Potential ways for long term resolution of this issue will be discussed. (author)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

M3SF-24LL010302062-NEA-TDB Management and International Collaborations in Sorption and Thermodynamic Modeling

This progress report (Level 3 Milestone Number M3SF-24LL010302062) summarizes research conducted at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) within the Crystalline International Collaborations Work Package Number SF-24LL01030206. The activity is focused on our long-term commitment to engaging our partners in international nuclear waste repository research. This includes participation in the Nuclear Energy Agency Thermochemical Database (NEA-TDB) Project and development of methodologies for integrating US and international thermodynamic databases for use in SFWST Generic Disposal System Assessment (GDSA) efforts. A continuing focus for FY24 efforts is to support the US participation in the NEA-TDB effort. The focus of FY24 activities was the development of an agreement for a Phase 7 activity that will start in Q1 of 2025. Mavrik Zavarin is now the US representative on both the Management Board and the Executive group to the NEA-TDB. He is also the POC for the Cements State of the Art Report that is undergoing peer review in FY24. In FY24, we used our position on the NEA-TDB MB and EG to facilitate the integration of NEA-TDB thermochemical data with LLNL’s SUPCRTNE thermodynamic database that supports the SFWST GDSA activities. This effort is coordinated with the Argillite work package SUPCRTNE database development efforts (Wolery, 2024). The goal is to provide a downloadable database that will be hosted on LLNL’s thermodynamics website which incorporates NEA-TDB data into the LLNL database where appropriate. We also began engagement with the EURAD2 program that was initiated in FY24 by our European collaborators at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany. The primary focus of the engagement is with WP20: DITUSC Thermodynamic database evaluation program. A kickoff meeting for this activity is planned for early FY25. Finally, we have been selected to co-host (with Clemson University) the International Conference on Chemistry and Migration Behaviour of Actinides and Fission Products in the Geosphere in 2025 (Migration2025). The meeting will be held September 21-26, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and will focus on international efforts to understand the risks of radionuclide releases into the environment. This central focus of this conference is on international efforts to develop safe disposal options for nuclear wastes. As such, we are developing a theme focused on US underground nuclear waste repository science.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2011

Used Fuel Disposition Campaign - Features, Events, and Processes (FEPs) (Work Package FTLL11UF0329), Level 4 Milestone (M4): M41UF032901 (LLNL Input to SNL L3 Milestone): FEP Status Tool and LLNL FEPs

The combination of 208 FEPs with the 5 waste forms and 7 geologic settings leads to a truly large parameter space for evaluation. Fortunately, many evaluations can handle multiple waste form and/or geologic setting situations for a given FEP. Also, some evaluations of a given waste form and/or geologic setting can apply to multiple FEPs. The FEP Status Tool (an Excel workbook) was developed to track progress in these evaluations. The current version (12.0) of the Status Tool is being released on the SharePoint website (Ref. 1) concurrent with this deliverable. The SharePoint Status Tool workbook can be downloaded for use by the FEP Team and other UFD staff members. However, LLNL staff will be the only people uploading changed Status Tool workbooks to SharePoint, to ensure version control. FEP Team members with updates to the Status Tool should provide the information to LLNL (J. Blink and V. Chipman). The information may be in e-mail form, or in an e-mail attachment. The attachment would typically be an Excel workbook with one sheet for each FEP with changed or new information. LLNL staff will copy the modified sheets into the master workbook, update the version number, and upload the new Status Tool workbook onto SharePoint. Section 1.1 of the report discusses the heart of the Status Tool, the individual FEP Sheets. Section 1.2 discusses the Summary Sheets of the Status Tool. Finally, Section 1.3 discusses some of the overall status results that can be obtained from the Summary Sheets.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Oxidative Funneling of PVDC (CRADA Final Report)

Poly(vinylidene chloride) (PVDC) is a major polymer product from the Participant. PVDC-containing plastics are not commonly recycled. To overcome the challenges associated with recycling PVDC and multi-layer materials, we propose a tandem catalytic-biological process to convert PVDC containing waste to upcycled, tunable products such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). PHAs are commercially relevant, biodegradable polymers that are useful in packaging, biomedical, and personal care applications. This technology, which the Contractor has named oxidative funneling (OxFun), uses a metal-promoted autoxidation step to depolymerize co-mingled polymers to a mixture of oxygenated compounds, which an engineered bacterium can funnel to a single bioproduct: here, medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHAs). The proposed oxidation chemistry is amenable to inclusion of additional polymers, and the biocatalyst can be engineered to convert the deconstruction products to a variety of valuable chemicals, thus presenting a tunable system for both feedstock variability and target product. Pseudomonas putida KT2440 – a metabolically robust microbe that has been engineered and proven viable for upcycling deconstructed polystyrene (PS), high density polyethlene (HDPE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – can be engineered with enzymes capable of de-chlorinating PVDC deconstruction products (e.g., 2,2-dichloroacetate) in addition to PE-derived substrates into mcl-PHAs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2011

Carbon Nanotube-Based Structural Health Monitoring Sensors

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-based sensors for structural health monitoring (SHM) can be embedded in structures of all geometries to monitor conditions both inside and at the surface of the structure to continuously sense changes. These CNTs can be manipulated into specific orientations to create small, powerful, and flexible sensors. One of the sensors is a highly flexible sensor for crack growth detection and strain field mapping that features a very dense and highly ordered array of single-walled CNTs. CNT structural health sensors can be mass-produced, are inexpensive, can be packaged in small sizes (0.5 micron(sup 2)), require less power than electronic or piezoelectric transducers, and produce less waste heat per square centimeter than electronic or piezoelectric transducers. Chemically functionalized lithographic patterns are used to deposit and align the CNTs onto metallic electrodes. This method consistently produces aligned CNTs in the defined locations. Using photo- and electron-beam lithography, simple Cr/Au thin-film circuits are patterned onto oxidized silicon substrates. The samples are then re-patterned with a CNT-attracting, self-assembled monolayer of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to delineate the desired CNT locations between electrodes. During the deposition of the solution-suspended single- wall CNTs, the application of an electric field to the metallic contacts causes alignment of the CNTs along the field direction. This innovation is a prime candidate for smart skin technologies with applications ranging from military, to aerospace, to private industry.

Wincheski, Russell↗
DOE OSTI2018

Evaluation of Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposition in Salt (FY18)

This report summarizes the 2018 fiscal year (FY18) field, laboratory, and modeling work funded by the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Spent Fuel and Waste Science & Technology (SFWST) campaign as part of the Sandia National Laboratories Salt Research and Development (R&D) and Salt International work packages. This report satisfies level-two milestone M2SF-18SNO10303031and comprises three related but stand-alone sections. The first section summarizes the programmatic progress made to date in the DOE-NE salt program and its goals going forward. The second section presents brine composition modeling and laboratory activities related to salt evaporation experiments, which will be used to interpret data collected during the heater test. The third section presents theoretical and numerical modeling work done to investigate the effects brine composition have on dihedral angle and the permeability of salt.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

Recent Advances in Biological Recycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Plastic Wastes

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most commonly used polyester plastics worldwide but is extremely difficult to be hydrolyzed in a natural environment. PET plastic is an inexpensive, lightweight, and durable material, which can readily be molded into an assortment of products that are used in a broad range of applications. Most PET is used for single-use packaging materials, such as disposable consumer items and packaging. Although PET plastics are a valuable resource in many aspects, the proliferation of plastic products in the last several decades have resulted in a negative environmental footprint. The long-term risk of released PET waste in the environment poses a serious threat to ecosystems, food safety, and even human health in modern society. Recycling is one of the most important actions currently available to reduce these impacts. Current clean-up strategies have attempted to alleviate the adverse impacts of PET pollution but are unable to compete with the increasing quantities of PET waste exposed to the environment. In this review paper, current PET recycling methods to improve life cycle and waste management are discussed, which can be further implemented to reduce plastics pollution and its impacts on health and environment. Compared with conventional mechanical and chemical recycling processes, the biotechnological recycling of PET involves enzymatic degradation of the waste PET and the followed bioconversion of degraded PET monomers into value-added chemicals. This approach creates a circular PET economy by recycling waste PET or upcycling it into more valuable products with minimal environmental footprint.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2011

Generalized Test Plan for the Vitrification of Simulated High-Level-Waste Calcine in the Idaho National Laboratory‘s Bench-Scale Cold Crucible Induction Melter

This Preliminary Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Test Plan outlines the chronological steps required to initially evaluate the validity of vitrifying INL surrogate (cold) High-Level-Waste (HLW) solid particulate calcine in INL's Cold Crucible Induction Melter (CCIM). Its documentation and publication satisfies interim milestone WP-413-INL-01 of the DOE-EM (via the Office of River Protection) sponsored work package, WP 4.1.3, entitled 'Improved Vitrification' The primary goal of the proposed CCIM testing is to initiate efforts to identify an efficient and effective back-up and risk adverse technology for treating the actual HLW calcine stored at the INL. The calcine's treatment must be completed by 2035 as dictated by a State of Idaho Consent Order. A final report on this surrogate/calcine test in the CCIM will be issued in May 2012-pending next fiscal year funding In particular the plan provides; (1) distinct test objectives, (2) a description of the purpose and scope of planned university contracted pre-screening tests required to optimize the CCIM glass/surrogate calcine formulation, (3) a listing of necessary CCIM equipment modifications and corresponding work control document changes necessary to feed a solid particulate to the CCIM, (4) a description of the class of calcine that will be represented by the surrogate, and (5) a tentative tabulation of the anticipated CCIM testing conditions, testing parameters, sampling requirements and analytical tests. Key FY -11 milestones associated with this CCIM testing effort are also provided. The CCIM test run is scheduled to be conducted in February of 2012 and will involve testing with a surrogate HLW calcine representative of only 13% of the 4,000 m3 of 'hot' calcine residing in 6 INL Bin Sets. The remaining classes of calcine will have to be eventually tested in the CCIM if an operational scale CCIM is to be a feasible option for the actual INL HLW calcine. This remaining calcine's make-up is HLW containing relatively high concentrations of zirconium and aluminum, representative of the cladding material of the reprocessed fuel that generated the calcine. A separate study to define the CCIM testing needs of these other calcine classifications in currently being prepared under a separate work package (WP-0) and will be provided as a milestone report at the end of this fiscal year.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

Sealed Source Security Challenges and Solutions: The Impact of Increased Commercial Disposal Access - 16557

Several recent developments have transformed the sealed source disposal landscape in the United States in ways unimaginable just a few years ago, including the initiation of operations at the first new commercial LLRW facility to open in the United States in decades; publication by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of revised commercial low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) disposal guidance; and the development and certification by the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) of new transportation package designs for high-activity sources/devices. These developments will likely enable LLRW generators to dispose of risk-significant radioactive sealed sources that for decades have been without a commercial disposal pathway. However, challenges remain with regard to ensuring that these new commercial disposal pathways are effective, and that sealed source licensees take advantage of the new options in a timely manner. These challenges include costs related to both transportation and disposal that are likely much higher than most generators expected when they purchased their sources. DOE/NNSA is actively engaged with Federal, State, regional, private sector partners to address these challenges, including measures to encourage financial planning for end-of-life management of radioactive sealed sources. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2018

How to Handle the Conflict between Safety and Security - 18564

The purpose of safety and security for nuclear activities are the same. They are both necessary measures to protect people and the environment from radioactive material. There are many measures that enhance both the safety and the security but there are also measures serving one area that are in direct conflict with the other. How information is handled is maybe the best example to demonstrate this conflict between interests. In the security field, information is handled on a need-to-know basis, preventing valuable details to fall into hands of antagonists, terrorists etc. The safety culture, on the contrary, is based on knowledge and transparency and it encourages the sharing of information and experience to improve the safety. There is little guidance on how to manage the conflicts between safety and security for a transport system moving nuclear fuel and radioactive waste and especially when there are conflicts between different legislation areas, for example the Act on Nuclear Activities and Safety of Life at Sea. The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co, SKB, transports all Swedish spent fuel and operational waste from the Nuclear Power Plants to the central storage facilities in Sweden. To manage the transport system, SKB owns a fleet of packages, road vehicles and an INF 3 ship. For the shipments of nuclear material, the security focus has increased rapidly over the years after the 9/11 attack, followed by regulatory requirements on enhanced security. SKB is currently running a project to further strengthen the transport security, an activity that requires a careful balance between safety and security. This paper describes the methods used and the challenges experienced trying to manage the conflicts between safety and security for the Swedish nuclear transport system. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2012

TOUGHREACT-Pitzer V1.21

TOUGHREACT is a numerical simulation program for chemically reactive non-isothermal flows of multiphase fluids in porous and fractured media. The program is written in Fortran 77 and was developed by introducing reactive chemistry into the multiphase flow code TOUGH2 V2. Interactions between mineral assemblages and fluids can occur under local equilibrium or kinetic rates. The gas phase can be chemically active. Precipitation and dissolution reactions can change formation porosity and permeability, and can also modify the unsaturated flow properties of the rock. The code is distributed with a comprehensive user's guide that includes sample problems addressing geothermal reservoirs and hydrothermal systems, nuclear waste isolation, groundwater quality, sequestration of carbon dioxide in saline aquifers, and supergene copper enrichment. The TOUGHREACT-Pitzer V1.21 package supports the following fluid property modules packaged into TOUGH2 V2.0 (CR-1574): EOS1, EOS2, EOS3, EOS4, EOS7, EOS9, and ECO2N. This version incorporates a Pitzer ion interaction model for application to saline solutions. It is NOT compatible with the most recent TOUGHREACT V2 and relies on the previous TOUGHREACT V1.21.

Zhang, Guoxiang↗
NASA NTRS1992

Water Sensors

Mike Morris, former Associate Director of STAC, formed pHish Doctor, Inc. to develop and sell a pH monitor for home aquariums. The monitor, or pHish Doctor, consists of a sensor strip and color chart that continually measures pH levels in an aquarium. This is important because when the level gets too high, ammonia excreted by fish is highly toxic; at low pH, bacteria that normally break down waste products stop functioning. Sales have run into the tens of thousands of dollars. A NASA Tech Brief Technical Support Package later led to a salt water version of the system and a DoE Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for development of a sensor for sea buoys. The company, now known as Ocean Optics, Inc., is currently studying the effects of carbon dioxide buildup as well as exploring other commercial applications for the fiber optic sensor.

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