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DOE OSTI2019

Lagrangian relaxation based heuristics for a chance-constrained optimization model of a hybrid solar-battery storage system

Here, we develop a stochastic optimization model for scheduling a hybrid solar-battery storage system. Solar power in excess of the promise can be used to charge the battery, while power short of the promise is met by discharging the battery. We ensure reliable operations by using a joint chance constraint. Models with a few hundred scenarios are relatively tractable; for larger models, we demonstrate how a Lagrangian relaxation scheme provides improved results. To further accelerate the Lagrangian scheme, we embed the progressive hedging algorithm within the subgradient iterations of the Lagrangian relaxation. Lastly, we investigate several enhancements of the progressive hedging algorithm, and find bundling of scenarios results in the best bounds.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2019

Are low-cost sensors good enough for IAQ controls?

Over the past few years there have been advances in sensing of some pollutants, primarily particles, that might lead to ventilation controls based on direct sensing of pollutants – particularly those relating to health. In this study we evaluated low-cost (about $200 US) IAQ monitors that measured PM2.5 - the most important health-related pollutant in indoor air. Controlled laboratory tests were carried out with known sources of particles (cooking, cleaning, candles, cigarettes) and by comparing the IAQ monitors response to research-grade and reference measurement methods. The results show a wide range of performance with the better IAQ monitors able to detect most particle sources/events and the worst ones detecting almost none. The best devices perform well enough to reliably operate a ventilation or filtration system but do not always report the correct magnitude of PM2.5 so there are restrictions on their use for calculating health effects.

Walker, Iain↗

DOE OSTI2020

Design and performance of an in-vacuum, magnetic field mapping system for the Muon g-2 experiment

The E989 Muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab aims to measure the anomalous magnetic moment, a$_\mu$, of the muon with a precision of 140 parts-per-billion. This requires a precise measurement of both the anomalous spin precession frequency, $\omega_a$, and the average magnetic field in terms of the equivalent, free proton Larmor frequency, $\omega_p$. The measurement of $\omega_p$ with a total systematic uncertainty of 70 parts-per-billion involves a combination of various NMR probes. There are 378 probes in fixed locations constantly monitoring field drifts. A water-based probe provides the calibration in terms of $\omega_p$. A crucial element for the multi-step measurement of $\omega_p$ is the regular mapping of the magnetic field over the muon storage region. The former E821 experiment at Brookhaven employed an in-vacuum field mapping system equipped with 17 NMR probes, which was developed by the University of Heidelberg. We have refurbished and upgraded this system with new probes and electronics. The upgrades include a new communication scheme incorporating time-division multiplexing to separate the important NMR reference clock from the data communication. The addition digitization of the NMR signals replaced the hardware-implemented zero-crossing counting of the E821 system. The digitized signals offer new capabilities in the NMR frequency analysis and its related systematic uncertainties. While the mechanical systems that move the field mapper around the ring have been mostly refurbished, the motion control system was completely replaced with a custom-built electronics centered around a commercial Galil motion controller. Both the field mapping NMR system and its motion control were successfully commissioned at Fermilab and have been in reliable operation during the first data taking periods. This article provides details of the upgrades of the field mapper and its performance.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2020

Analyzing the Effects of Cyberattacks on Distribution System State Estimation: Preprint

Key components of power systems—such as energy management systems, automatic generation control, and state estimation—are under serious vulnerability from cyber attacks. Cyber threats in electric grids have increased significantly because of the increased interconnectivity of supervisory control and data acquisition systems and public network infrastructure. As the penetration level of distributed energy resources increases, it is imperative to employ system-monitoring techniques such as state estimation for the reliable operation of distribution systems. Recently, multiple methods have been developed that exploit the low rank property of distribution system state matrix and are robust to bad data, such as matrix completion. This paper analyzes the impact of various realistic cyber attack scenarios on matrix completion. Realistic cyber attack scenarios are converted into data corruption models that are used in an extensive simulation of a custom IEEE 123-bus system.

41 EE - Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)↗

DOE OSTI2021

Efficiency, Power Loss, and Power Factor Measurement of Quadrupole Magnet Power Supplies at the Spallation Neutron Source

The linear accelerator (LINAC) quadrupole magnets are powered by 42 silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) based power supplies at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) facility of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. These 35V, 525A power supplies are bulky, inefficient and require both air and water cooling. The reliability of the SNS facility is impacted due to water leaks internal to power supplies and current readback issues associated with their unique control system interface, resulting in multiple downtime events. Hence, an alternate solution is necessary for the continued reliable operation of the SNS. To mitigate the above-mentioned problems, this paper proposes the use of off-the-shelf Switch Mode Power Supplies (SMPS) rated for 20V, 500A with serial control interface. These SMPS are air-cooled, more efficient and more compact owing to their switching speeds of approximately 160 kHz. The performance enhancements of the SMPS in comparison with the existing SCR power supply are discussed in detail in this paper. The features of the SMPS, along with experimental results for both power supplies, like efficiency, power losses and stability, are presented. Ongoing work is also discussed.

Harave, Sudarshan↗

DOE OSTI2022

Irradiation Facilities and Irradiation Methods for High Power Target

High Power Target systems are key elements in future neutrino and other rare particle production in accelerators. These systems transform an intense source of protons into secondary particles of interest to enable new scientific discoveries. As beam intensity and energies increase, target systems face significant challenges. Radiation damages and thermal shocks in target materials were identified as the leading cross-cutting challenges of high-power target facilities. Target material R&D to address these challenges are essential to enable and ensure reliable operation of future-generation accelerators. Irradiation facilities and alternative methods are critical to provide a full support of material R&D and better address these critical challenges.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Cyber risk assessment and investment optimization using game theory and ML-based anomaly detection and mitigation for wide-area control in smart grids

The electric power grid is increasingly becoming susceptible to cyber attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in the smart grid control, information, and physical layers. Successful cyber attacks can have catastrophic impacts on the social and economic well-being of any nation all over the globe. It has, thus, become imperative to secure the smart grid against such adversarial actions to ensure stable, secure, and reliable operation of the grid. The existing research and industry practices prove to be inadequate in terms of providing pragmatic and effective defense methodologies and measures for long-term cybersecurity planning and real-time cybersecurity for grid operation. For example, existing works lack models that incorporate uncertain behavior of cyber-attackers and pragmatic defense measures for cyber risk assessment and cybersecurity investment optimization which often provide unreliable and strictly qualitative solutions to these problems. At the same time, with the growing number of cyber incidents in the grid, there still exists a need to develop attack-resilient algorithms for wide-area monitoring, protection, and control (WAMPAC) applications like the wide-area voltage control systems (WAVCS) for Flexible AC Transmissions Systems (FACTS) that lack in scalable and feasible solutions from the cybersecurity perspective. This dissertation proposes novel models and methodologies for: (1) Cybersecurity planning, and (2) Cybersecurity for system operation. The cybersecurity planning is achieved through cyber risk assessment and cybersecurity resource investment optimization for long-term cybersecurity of the grid using game theory and attack-defense trees. Cybersecurity for system operation consists of development of cyber anomaly detection and mitigation algorithms for flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) controller-based wide-area voltage control systems (WAVCS) using machine learning (ML), and software defined networking-based moving target defense network routing for achieving real-time cyber-physical security for grid operations. This is followed by hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) implementation and evaluation of these attack prevention, detection, and mitigation algorithms and methodologies showcasing their feasibility in a close to real-world environment. For cybersecurity planning, a novel approach involving a combination of game theory and attack defense trees (ADT) for optimal cybersecurity resource allocation in the smart grid is proposed. This methodology involves modeling of the cyber-physical smart grid substations as ADTs, defining attacker costs, defense costs, and attack probabilities for attack access points. Using game theoretical formulation, optimal defense strategies for the defender of the system to invest cybersecurity resources in the grid are obtained. Additionally, a game-theoretic framework is developed for quantitative cyber-physical risk assessment of the grid under a dynamically changing cyber threat space and uncertain behavior of cyber attackers which is further used to optimize investments in the smart grid's cybersecurity resources. The attacker, defender, and the smart grid system are modeled while incorporating attacker-stochasticity and federal guidelines for smart grid cybersecurity. This allows quantification of threat, vulnerabilities, and attack impact of the grid for quantitative risk assessment. The defender's budget to invest in the security resources in the grid is optimized based on the strategies leading to minimum system risk. The evaluation of the proposed solutions highlight the feasibility for practical implementation of these methodologies and algorithms in the smart grid, while taking the federal requirements and guidelines for smart grid security into consideration. For achieving cybersecurity for system operation, attack prevention, detection, and mitigation algorithms and methodologies are developed specifically for FACTS-based WAVCS. Anomaly detection and mitigation in the WAVCS are achieved using algorithms based on machine learning which involves offline training and testing of ML models with CPS datasets incorporating physics-based features that allow accurate distinction between system faults and cyber attacks. For attack prevention, a methodology based on software defined network (SDN)-based moving target defense (MTD) network routing is proposed that enables prevention of Denial of Service (DoS) type attacks on the smart grid communication system. Subsequently, these methodologies and algorithms are implemented and evaluated on an HIL testbed that allows for real-time attack prevention, detection, and mitigation of emulated cyber attacks on the WAVCS in a close to real-world environment. The results show highly accurate and efficient performance of the implemented algorithms and methodologies with the smart grid system operating within the NERC's system operation limits even in the presence of DoS and data integrity cyber attacks. This work opens up future research opportunities in other directions such as (1) Expanding cybersecurity planning methodologies to real-time cyber contingency analysis with different game formulations; and (2) Applying the cybersecurity for system operation algorithms to broader categories of wide-area control applications.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2023

Fermilab Report - Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Monthly Report, June 1979

Fermilab is engaged in several new ventures building for the future of the Laboratory and for excursions into new energy ranges. At the same time, it should be remembered that Fermilab also carries out a vigorous program of particle physics at 400 GeV, or thereabouts, with experimenters from a host of different institutions and a number of different countries. This program, which will be the backbone of Fermilab until the era of TeV physics begins, depends completely on reliable operation of the Fermilab accelerator at the intensities and in the modes needed for experiments. There has not been a review of accelerator operation in these pages since August, 1976, and it seems appropriate to discuss the progress of the accelerator.

Cole, F. T.↗

DOE OSTI2023

An Open-Source Parallel EMT Simulation Framework: Preprint

As the integration level of inverter-based resources (IBR) increases, ensuring the reliable operation of the bulk power systems requires the use of electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulation tools to identify and mitigate system-wide stability risks. Conducting EMT studies for large-scale, IBR-rich grids, however, is challenging due to the inherent computational bottleneck caused by the underlying high-fidelity models and required small time steps. This paper introduces ParaEMT: an open-source, generic EMT simulation framework designed to accelerate simulations by leveraging advanced parallel computational technologies, such as high-performance computers. This paper presents a comprehensive exposition of ParaEMT, covering its modeling library, simulation strategy, framework structure, operational procedures, and auxiliary features, alongside its extensible parallel computational architecture. Notably, ParaEMT is a publicly accessible and modularized framework written in Python, thereby facilitating future development and the integration of new models and algorithms. The accuracy and efficiency of ParaEMT are demonstrated by rigorous validations via multiple case studies.

electromagnetic transient simulation↗

DOE OSTI2017

Swedish Solution for Reconditioning, Transport, Interim Storage and Final Disposal of Failed Fuel - 17024

Despite today's increasingly more reliable operation of nuclear power plants, failed fuel rods exist in all Swedish plants. Managing intermediate storage and sub-sequential final disposal of such rods has been a growing problem. The Swedish system for spent fuel management uses the principle of intermediate storage of the fuel in a central intermediate storage facility (CLAB) before disposal in a final repository according to the KBS-3 method. However, the intermediate storage facility does not allow storage of failed fuel and the final repository has limitations on moisture in the deposited fuel and hence failed or broken fuel rods cannot be accepted as-is. The nuclear power companies in Sweden have jointly established the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co, SKB, to manage the spent fuel and the operational waste. To find a solution to transport the failed fuel to storage, SKB has established a project with the goal to have all currently failed fuel rods from all the Swedish nuclear power plants reconditioned and transported to the intermediate storage facility before the year of 2020. The project has established the acceptance criteria for reconditioned failed fuel in the final repository and evaluated a number of options for treatment, encapsulation and transportation of the failed fuel rods. Furthermore, two suppliers have developed reconditioning methods fulfilling the criteria and contracts were signed with both suppliers in May 2016. This paper outlines the details of the Swedish solution for treatment and storage of failed fuel including the technical requirements for the reconditioning method and transportability. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2022

Risk Management and Risk Aversion, from Benefit to Impediment

Risk management is a critical tool for improving the probability of project success by identifying, assessing, prioritizing, and attempting to control threats to project realization. For industries that require high operational reliability due to the potential consequences of off-normal events, such as the nuclear, aerospace, and chemical sectors, a major focus of risk management is the preservation of process safety. Due to the nature of the processes or systems under consideration, the associated process safety analyses (such as risk and safety assessments) and safety features can require significant resources. These costs are typically tolerated either due to the need to satisfy regulatory requirements or based on the assumption that they generally decrease the occurrence of unwanted events and therefore improve the probability of project success. However, as the level of acceptable or tolerable risk from unwanted events decreases, the required resources necessary for ensuring and demonstrating satisfaction of these criteria can grow and in turn can become one of the dominant impediments to project success. This paper outlines a high-level theoretical framework for the consideration of dominant project risks, which includes potential project failure from both the occurrence of high consequence off-normal events and the inability to achieve project completion due to the resource needs and innovation losses associated with extreme risk aversion. Utilizing such an integrated approach permits an attempt to optimize the probability of successful project realization while also providing valuable insight into the proper level of acceptable risk. The work is presented as a first step, in hopes of spurring additional discussion and analysis regarding appropriate levels of risk tolerance and the balance of project benefits.

Grabaskas, David↗

DOE OSTI2018

A Prototype Dual Robot System to Perform Ultrasonic and Visual Inspection for the Bottom of Double-Shell Tanks - 18624

Up to this point, ultrasonic inspection-based condition data has only been available for double-shell tank (DST) sidewalls because direct inspection access to the primary tank bottom is limited to vent duct channels in an insulating refractory pad that the primary tank rests on. Probe access through the air slot would provide the opportunity to get information about the condition of the bottom of the primary tank, but it is a challenge to deploy a crawling robot that is capable of performing nondestructive ultrasonic and visual inspection through confined air slots. As such, a conceptual prototype of a deployable inspection robot system to enable ultrasonic and visual inspection for DST base through ventilation ducts was designed and fabricated. This prototype dual robot system consisting of the AnnulusBot and the MouseBot can be integrated with nondestructive evaluation (NDE) sensors to inspect and examine the physical properties of the underside of DSTs to enable status assessment. The AnnulusBot was designed to carry the MouseBot and to be deployed to the annulus space through a riser. To deploy the MouseBot to every ventilation channel in the annulus, the arm consisting of a boom and a forearm was used to place the MouseBot on the underside of the tank. The AnnulusBot used segmented wheels enable to traverse pipes and other potential obstacles. The cable management system utilized motorized wheels to feed the cable into the ventilation channel. This would reduce the amount of work that the MouseBot would have to do during inspection. This feeding mechanism would also be used to retrieve the MouseBot at the end of its inspection. Additionally, if the MouseBot fails, this mechanism would be used for retrieval. Once deployed, the MouseBot navigates to the center of the tank via the air ventilation channel beneath the inner shell (the primary tank) while inspecting the space. The MouseBot is then retrieved from the channel by a combination of its own drive power and the AnnulusBot retracting the attached umbilical cord. Compare with the AnnulusBot, the physical dimensional limitations of the MouseBot were a greater challenge. As the surface state of the concrete of the air channels could have variable texture, and may contain debris, it was decided not to travel along this surface. The ceiling of these channels is carbon steel and can be utilized throughout the channel. To use this travel surface, magnetic wheels were employed. A foreseeable problem with the use of magnets on this surface, is that they would preclude the use of eddy currents sensors. However, other technologies like ultrasonic technology sensors should be unaffected. Laboratory scale test was performed on a mock-up single wedge of the refractory pad to evaluate maneuverability of the MouseBot. The electronic components for the prototype would work in the ranges of 150-185 deg. F (65.6-85 deg. C). Both the AnnulusBot and MouseBot will be subject to constant radiation. All major printed circuit board (PCB) microcontroller components were designed to be situated outside of the annulus space and inside the main control panel to avoid radiation-induced failure. As future work, electronic components including the Arduinos that used Atmel commercial microcontrollers will be replaced with the high temperature rated Atmel microcontrollers so that the robots can be operated reliably at ambient temperatures up to 200 deg. F (93.3 deg. C). In addition, the robots will be service life tested to evaluate performance at elevated temperature and under gamma irradiation. (authors)

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2019

Saltstone Facility Operating Experience with Mega-Vault Disposal Units - 19497

The Saltstone Production Facility (SPF) has been treating low-level waste aqueous salt solution at the Savannah River Site (SRS) since 1990. Salt solutions are transferred from a large-volume, underground storage tank via underground waste transfer line into the SPF. The waste is received into one of two receipt tanks and then transferred to a twin-shaft mixer where dry feeds are introduced to create a fresh grout slurry. The grout exits the mixer into a hold tank, which has a residence time of approximately two minutes. The slurry is then pumped via peristaltic pump through a grout transfer line to one of several disposal units in the Saltstone Disposal Facility (SDF). The transfer line length varies from 0.4 km to 0.8 km depending on disposal location. With the salt disposal mission at SRS accelerating via the operation of the Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction (MCU) facility and the anticipated startup of the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF), it is important that the SPF and SDF operate with minimal outage time and maximum facility availability. To this end, the design of the newest disposal units has incorporated the benefits of commercially available cylindrical concrete tank design on a very large scale to maximize economies of scale. This new design has been placed into radioactive service and the initial operational data will be compared with previous disposal operations along with an overview of how disposal unit design has significantly evolved since the initial construction in the early 1990's. Additionally, several processing facility modifications have either been implemented or developed in recent years to improve operating reliability and ensure facility availability once the SWPF becomes the primary waste generator providing feed for the SPF. These modifications, the issues driving their development, and an assessment of their effectiveness will also be discussed. (author)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2017

A new probe concept for internal pipework inspection - 241

The interior visual inspection of nuclear pipework is a critical inspection activity required to ensure the continued safe, reliable operation of plant and thus avoid costly outages. Typically, the video output from a manually deployed probe is viewed by an operator online with the task of identifying and estimating the location of surface defects such as cracks, corrosion and pitting. However, it is very difficult to estimate the nature and spatial extent of defects from the often disorientating small field of view video of a relatively large structure. This work describes a new visual inspection system incorporating a wide field of view machine vision camera and additional sensors designed for inspecting 3 - 6 inch diameter pipes. The output of the system is a photorealistic model of the internal surface of the pipework. The generation of this model relies upon a core component of the system in the form of image feature extraction which estimates camera location. This paper considers the accuracy of this estimation as a function of the number and configuration of the extracted image features. (authors)

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2017

Development of Scaling Criteria for Modeling Condensation in Horizontal Tubes Using Reduced Pressure System and Simulant Fluid

Most of the currently operating nuclear power plants (NPPs), generation-II and III, are equipped with active safety systems, which raises concerns regarding those safety systems' operational reliability and the suitability of the accidents prevention measures. Following the severe accidents at nuclear power plants at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and recently in Fukushima some advance Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) have adopted passively cooled steam generator natural circulation system to remove the decay heat passively through the steam generator (SG). This is done by condensing steam from the steam generator inside a heat exchanger submerged in a tank of water or an air cooled system. The APR+ (Advanced Power Reactor Plus), which is currently being developed in South Korea, has adopted a Passive Auxiliary Feedwater System (PAFS), which removes the decay heat through the steam generator replacing the conventional active auxiliary feedwater system. The main part of the PAFS, in where the steam condenses, is the Passive Condensation Heat Exchanger (PCHX). The steam condenses under high pressure (7.4 MPa, 290 deg. C) in 8.4 m long horizontal tube, with 3 degrees inclination, with inner diameter of 44.8 mm and wall thickness of 3 mm. The PCHX consists of 4 bundles, each bundle has 60 condensation tubes. The performance of the PCHX performance should be evaluated. Condensation has been extensively studied; however, most previous experimental work was directed to low pressure (i.e., near atmospheric pressure) and small condensation tubes. Moreover, studies on the horizontal type heat exchanger are limited, since previous safety systems and experimentation work were directed to the vertical type heat exchangers. Due to the high construction cost of a full size high pressure condensation experiment, a reduced-size reduced-pressure condensation experiment is suggested to evaluate the heat removal performance of a condensation tube of the PAFS heat exchanger. A scaling methodology to be established to design a reduced-size reduced-pressure condensation experiment. This study attempts to develop a scaling criteria for the PAFS condensation system, and to apply it for modeling a high pressure water system by a low pressure Freon system.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2024

A Data-Driven Approach for High-Impedance Fault Localization in Distribution Systems: Preprint

Accurate and quick identification of high-impedance faults (HIFs) is critical for the reliable operation of distribution systems. Unlike other faults in power grids, HIFs are very difficult to detect by conventional overcurrent relays due to the low fault current. Although HIFs can be affected by various factors, the voltage-current characteristics can substantially imply how the system responds to the disturbance and thus provides opportunities to effectively localize HIFs. In this work, we propose a data-driven approach for the identification of HIF events. To tackle the nonlinearity of the voltage-current trajectory, first, we formulate optimization problems to approximate the trajectory with piecewise functions. Then we collect the function features of all segments as inputs and use the support vector machine approach to efficiently identify HIFs at different locations. Numerical studies on the IEEE 123-node test feeder demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the proposed approach for real-time HIF identification.

explainable artificial intelligence↗

DOE OSTI2024

Cyber-Enabled Sabotage, Critical Function Assurance, and Cyber-Informed Engineering

Cyber-enabled Sabotage, Critical Function Assurance, and Cyber-Informed Engineering: This discussion will introduce the idea of cyber-enabled sabotage, and the role engineering plays in the cyber defense of critical functions with a focus on electric power systems. It will outline how and why engineering practice must be used to apply cybersecurity principles to establish safe and reliable operations even in the face of determined and skilled adversaries, and give an overview of INL’s Consequence-Driven Cyber-Informed Engineering methodology to apply these principles. There will be an opportunity for audience questions and answers at the end of the session.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2024

Digitalization mapping and assessment process supporting ION strategic transformation activities

The existing fleet of commercial nuclear power plants (NPPs) are an important asset in the nation’s portfolio of electrical generating resources. Their continued safe and reliable operation are critical to providing a large source of carbon-free electricity to power the nation’s economy. The United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program develops the scientific bases, methods, and tools, for the continued safe and economical operation of the nation's commercial NPPs. The Plant Modernization Pathway within LWRS Program focuses on providing guidance to industry on the full-scale implementation of modernization solutions for NPPs that significantly reduce the technical and financial risks associated with modernization. This research is focused on helping the nuclear industry understand how to digitize and digitalize their NPPs so that they can design their modernization solutions to be scalable, sustainable, and integrated both laterally and horizontally within their organization. That is, this research creates a digital transformation in NPPs by reshaping cultural mindsets and by identifying business efficiencies. In partnership with industry, and using four previously established guiding principles for digitalization, this research supported NPP modernization through assessing readiness for digitalization as a means to achieve integrated operations for nuclear. Specifically, this research created an assessment to review an entire organization’s work processes to gather information about the digitalization health of the plant. The assessment tools were administered to plant employees, and the results were used to develop a digitalization plan. The survey assessment identified the optimal candidate processes that would most benefit from a digitalization initiative which were revealed through analytical frameworks. One analysis calculated mean digitalization health indicator scores for all endorsed activities which allowed the researchers to rank and color code the results for easy identification. Individual health indicator scores are also provided, should our industry partner wish to understand these findings according to their own organizational priorities, business considerations and desired end-state. The results were also analyzed from the perspective that organizations are comprised of different types of innovators (e.g., generators, optimizers, conceptualizers, and implementers), which differentially affects the organization’s ability to comprehend and adapt to change (i.e., opportunities to innovate). Understanding the relative composition of innovator types at an NPP allows them to gather insights into the strengths and weaknesses they have in innovating how work is performed. For the utility that partnered with this research team, the results showed that implementers make up the largest portion of respondents and conceptualizers the smallest portion. Knowing the proportion of innovator types gave this organization insights on how they can effectively implement their innovation solutions. Additionally, the results were analyzed from a technical, economic, and risk perspective to identify and quantify work reduction opportunities (WROs). Recognizing that not all cost-saving opportunities are the same, a Technical, Economic and Risk Assessment (TERA) was performed to evaluate WROs to identify areas of greatest potential and lowest risk. The key results from TERA included a digitalization opportunity score for each activity, and a calculation of potential cost savings. These two outputs formed the bases for calculating a priority index and rank for the activities/processes assessed. From the prioritization calculations, TERA can then help the utility 1) decide what digitalization priorities to invest money in implementing and then 2) calculates how much should be invested in the digitalization initiatives selected to achieve cost savings and/or an acceptable return on investment. Last, onsite interviews revealed several inefficiencies in the standard work processes that occur cross-departmentally that are due to the absence of digitized and digitalized processes. Examples of these include time spent scanning paper documents and then uploading the documents electronically, obtaining signatures, and searching for desired information. This represents a digital but not digitalized process. Over 15 opportunities to improve work processes were identified through this multi-method digitalization assessment. The various analytical assessments used (e.g., TERA, digitalization health indicator scores), as well as discussions with the utility partner, corroborated that all the opportunities identified had a strong potential to make work processes more efficient and to improve overall performance of the NPP.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗